


IT LIVES IN THE WOODS

by machinehead



Category: Pixelberry, PlayChoices, it lives in the woods - Fandom
Genre: Absolute Trash, Action, F/M, Fanfiction, Friendship/Love, Gore, Horror, LGBT, Monsters, Mystery, Romance, Scary, Thriller, Wraith, ghost - Freeform, good dose of angst, he's my boy, i love noah marshall and i dont care what anyone says, rewrite of it lives in the woods by playchoices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2019-10-22 15:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 148,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17665538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machinehead/pseuds/machinehead
Summary: ❝ᵂᴱ ᴬᴿᴱ ᴺᴼᵀ ˢᶜᴬᴿᴱᴰ ᴼᶠ ʸᴼᵁ.❞Ten years ago, a gang of ignorant kids stumbled into the woods and awakened an ancient woodland entity and now it wants them back.[ ᴀ ɴᴏᴀʜ x ᴍᴄ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ ]BOOK ONE OF THE 'IT LIVES' SERIES.





	1. introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This work was also posted on Wattpad at my account ' bastard- '. Hope you enjoy!!

 

━━━━━

 **INTRODUCTION**  
THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT _!_

━━━━━

prelude ━ **EVERYONE PLAYS TOGETHER**

  
**TEN YEARS AGO** , something very strange was brewing beneath everyone's noses in the small town of Westchester, something hidden in plain sight. When a bunch of kids unknowingly unleash a dark, ghastly entity into the world, they realise too late what they had freed — leading to a devastating tragedy ending with a young girl's life being cut short. Upon her death, the children made an oath to never set foot in the forbidden woods ever again and to hopefully forget about the entity in the woods — but unfortunately for the children, the entity never forgot them.

Now, at the tender age of 17, Nellie Griffin, one of the remaining children who escaped the entity's deathly grasps receives an odd message from an old friend who she hadn't spoken to since their last encounter at the girl's funeral a decade ago. And with the message she opened; an old dark entity is awakened, the very same entity that still lurks deep within the woods, alone and hungry for her. She and her childhood friends must join forces despite their differences in the social hierarchy of high school to solve the mystery of their missing friend, and finally put this entity to rest for good.

**. . .**

**[ STATUS ]**

**chapters:** [4/??]  
**genre:** romance, fanfiction, mature, drama, horror, thriller.  
**warning:** graphic violence, bullying, some gory & depressing scenes.  
**disclaimer:** my writing, nellie griffin is my oc. a rewrite of Pixelberry Studio's book, 'IT LIVES IN THE WOODS'.

**. . .**

 

 

❝WE WERE NOTHING, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.❞

****

mixtape ━ songs for the kids that never got to be kids.

i. bury a friend  **billie eilish**  
ii. little lies  **fleetwood mac**  
iii. i lived  **onerepublic**  
iv. heroes  **peter gabriel  
**v. running up that hill  **placebo**  
vi. you get what you give  **new radicals**  
vii. carry on  **fun.**  
viii. kids in america  **kim wilde**  
ix. harsh realm  **widowspeak**  
x. in the room where you sleep  **dead man's bones**

**.  .  .**

 

cast ━ **DREAM TEAM**

young **!** madchen amick **━** nellie griffin ** _!_**

  

alex turner **━** noah marshall **_!_**

 

**__ **

vanessa morgan ** _━_** ava cunningham ** _!_**

 

**__ **

ki hong lee **━** andy kang **_!_**

 

**__ **

sharon rooney **━** lily ortiz ** _!_**

 

**__ **

jordan fisher **━** lucas thomas ** _!_**

 

imogen poots **━** stacy green **_!_**

 

nick robinson **━** dan pierce ** _!_**

 

**━━━━━**

**WRITTEN BY**  
BASTARD- _! -WATTPAD_

MACHINEHEAD _!_  - ARCHIVEOFOUROWN

**━━━━━**


	2. act one

 

 

 

 for the love we shared  
for the blood we shed  
for the soul's we touched

 

 

 

 **ACT 1.**  OLD FRIENDS

****'THE GANG REPRESSES THEIR CHILDHOOD TRAUMA'** **

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

 

**//**

prologue **— 000. A STRANGE TEXT FROM A MISSING BOY  
**chapter one **— 001. BRUISES & RUNE STONES  
**chapter two — **002\. PRINCE CHARMING'S STEEL HORSE & LEATHER JACKET  
**chapter three **— 003. A POPULARITY DISPUTE  
**chapter four **— 004. HE'S BACK**

**//**

 


	3. prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nellie gets a strange text from an old friend.

****

**000. **A STRANGE TEXT FROM A MISSING BOY****  
**(**      the prologue _ **!**_      **)**

**. . .**

 

  _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._

**MONDAY.  
3:00 AM.**

    

 **THE BELLY OF** the pale moon was strung high in the velvety midnight sky, casting the slightest of rays over the small town of Westchester, stretching further for a cosy house hidden from the town's street lamps and closer towards the long stretch of dark, gloomy woods where the lights struggled to reach. The sky above the town was filled with tiny white specks, appearing like sugar spilled over a black marble floor, reflecting on nearly pitch black rivers, as the chilly night coated the sleepy town in a thick coat of darkness, lulling its townspeople into a peacefully deep sleep, regenerating their energy for the oncoming day — all but one teenage girl who for some reason just couldn't manage to close her eyes long enough for her body to relax.

During the summer break, Nellie Griffin had become something of a night creature. Every night became a war between the need to sleep and the want to stay awake. Sleeplessness had became a part of her, became her torturous embrace with her mind running rampant like a child with ADHD. Tussles of useless thoughts bouncing wildly around, scenarios of unattainable wishes, the philosophical questions of large extraterrestrial beings. The rising radiant sun would mock her as it showed its face over the horizon, and the chirping birds would criticise her restless and tense body that was fighting so hard to melt into the soft foam of her mattress as time ticked relentlessly by. But even if she were to rest her eyes, every disturbance led to a new nightmare that often plagued her usual peaceful dreams. Dreams of bright, colourful things, gradually twisting into something sinister and dark, something with claws and teeth. It's no surprise she fought hard against sleep.

If only her parents were home for once, maybe she wouldn't be feeling so paranoid and unsafe in her own house — even if there really wasn't much of a reason to be paranoid in the first place. Westchester, to her knowledge, wasn't a dangerous place. Hardly any major crimes were committed that would allow her to fear for her own safety or any other strange happenings that may cause her to keep every light in the house on, well not in the last ten years at least.

The last time something terrible happened in Westchester was when she was a kid, the death of a child, the death of her friend that left Nellie with internal scars, violent nightmares and a whole lot of emotional baggage sprinkled on top. But as a stubborn kid who lost her childhood quickly, she refused to go to therapy, refused to mention that horrid memory, and her parents refused to acknowledge the fact that their precious kid that they barely know was traumatised by what she saw all those years ago.

While the teenager was laying on her bed, blanket bunched up at her ankles, and gaze staring limply at the roof in thought, she was jolted into complete wakefulness when a sudden short buzzing sensation pierced into the otherwise quiet room, like an agitated rattlesnake. Her old brick of a phone (that seriously needed an upgrade) sat stoically on the shelf next to her bed, vibrating loudly two more times, against the mahogany wood, awaiting her to grasp it and answer the messages. The girl begrudgingly — albeit with an annoyed groan, rolled over to her side and blindly groped her hand aimlessly around in the dark until her hand grazed against it.

         "Ugh, who's texting me at three in the morning?" She murmured to herself, voice edging with a tired croak before yawning tiredly as she unlocked her phone. She blinked away the sleepiness from her eyes and squinted through the blinding brightness illuminating from the screen to see an unusual text from an unknown number.

 

 

**TEXT MESSAGE**

**UNKNOWN NUMBER**  
Hey, are you there?  
It's Dan.  
I messed up. I'm so sorry…  
_read 3:01 AM_

 

Nellie's icy blue eyes widened in surprise, eyebrows cocked upwards, and mouth ajar. For a split second, her whole face went through the entire five stages of grief, and her brain failed to compute what messages she received. She hadn’t heard from Dan Pierce in months, barely had a conversation with him in a decade after the incident that ripped their childhood apart — and suddenly her phone was buzzing too life with messages from him at three in the morning on a school night? It didn’t add up.  Perhaps this was some sort of prank or he’s drunk from a night out? There's no reason for him to even speak to her. But, even so, she wasn’t sure whether to be excited that he had gotten in contact with her after all this time or should she be concerned by his frantic messages of apology.

Hesitantly, her fingers tapped on the keyboard on the screen.

 

 

**TEXT MESSAGE**

**NELLIE**  
Dan? It's... been a while. Are you okay? What happened?  
_read 3:01 AM_

 

 **DAN**  
I went into the woods.  
I had to be sure, I had to prove to myself that it was all in my head…  
But it isn't, Nellie, it's all real. HE'S real.  
_read 3:01 AM_

 **NELLIE**  
Dan... are you drunk or something?  
_read 3:02 AM_

 **DAN**  
I heard him whispering, just like when we were kids.  
_read 3:02 AM_

 **NELLIE**  
Stop it, Dan. We made all that stuff up.  
Mr. Red was just a dumb kid's game that got out of control.  
He doesn't exist. He never did.  
_read 3:03 AM_

 **DAN**  
He does.  
He's here with me now.  
_read 3:03 AM_

 **NELLIE**  
Wait... where are you?  
_read 3:04 AM_

 **DAN**  
I can hear him in the trees.  
I hear him whispering...  
_read 3:05 AM_

 

Frowning, she was about to type out her response when she heard three harsh consecutive _taps_ against the glass window right beside her head as if someone was throwing pebbles at the glass. Nellie released an embarrassingly loud shriek, heart leaping into her throat like an inexperienced teenager driving a car for the first time, flinching violently enough that her phone slipped from her grasp, landing on the wooden floorboards, coating the room in an eerie glow.

The muscle in her chest began to rhythmically thump wildly like a feral animal locked inside a cage. The girl took her chances and quickly glanced out her window but as soon as she did so, her blood ran cold, and her skin grew white as a quartz crystal.

Looming outside was a dark humanoid shape, a hooded person cloaked in shadows, face pushed against the cool glass as he peered into her room, with his warm breathing leaving a foggy mark behind. Nellie’s shaking hands fumbled for the light switch of the lamp on her bedside table, breathing a sigh of relief when light flooded into her room, bathing it in a warm glow.

         “Dan?!” She exclaimed, mouth pursed but slightly open and loose, she blinked, refocused, blinked again as she caught the sight of the familiar frame of Daniel Pierce standing outside her bedroom window with a solemn look adorning his gaunt face. “What are you doing here?”

His face was mostly covered by the dark of the outside world and the hood of his muddy jumper covering his unkempt shaggy brown hair. She couldn't see him properly in the dark lighting but the light from the lamp showed her enough to see how malnourished and sickly he looked, as if he hadn't slept nor eaten in weeks and was barely clinging on to consciousness.

         "Nellie, can I come in?" He mumbled, voice shaky and distressed with a strained quiver as if he was fighting hard not to cry. He reminded her of a small child, bargaining with his mother after a punishment, so weak and tiredly. He pressed his frail hand against the cool glass, and all Nellie could think was just how much of a stark contrast his voice and body language was to the boy she once knew before.

         "I..." She spluttered, standing there for a second as her brain tried to communicate with the rest of her body. She was unsure of how to even respond at this point, knowing that her old friend who she hadn’t heard from in months was outside her bedroom window, somehow, despite the house being two stories. Last time she knew, Dan had dropped off the face of the planet — but for some odd reason he decided to pay a visit at 3 AM with dark purple bruises and welts littered across his pale skin, the same skin that used to be a golden tan. "I guess so. Hang on."

It wasn’t the type of friendship reunion she had been hoping for with her old childhood friends, but it was close enough at least.

She walked the small amount of steps towards the window and slid it open wide enough for Dan to be able to slip through without too much difficulty, and now in the brightness of her room, she let out a horrified gasp at just how bad he looked.

His white hooded jumper and dark jeans were covered in dirt, and grass stains, mud caked under his nails as if he had been chased, and clawing himself to safety. His usual lean and athletic body from being a prodigy child of a washed-out football star, was thin and bony, usual proud frame was hunched over as if he was trying to disappear while his twitching face was downcasted to the floor. The boy looked miserable, broken even, but his eyes were devoid of emotion.

She took a small tentative step forward, as if the boy was an innocent jittery deer hiding in the woods from watching hunters, one step too loud, and he’d bounce away in a second. She slowly reached out her hand, gently pulling off the hoodie from atop of his head.

         "Oh, Dan." Her plump lips trembled at the sight, his broken appearance weighing heavy on her usual empathetic nature. His bloodshot eyes twitched uncomfortably not exactly knowing where to settle them, his greasy, sweaty hair laid in an unkempt mess, falling into his deep sienna brown eyes. His cheekbones were sunken in, and his lips were chapped from the works of dehydration — he looked halfway to death’s door. She reached out her hand again, like an overprotective mother, and pulled the sleeves of his jumper up to his forearm, to check for something — anything. Track marks from drug use, self harm scars, anything to let her know where his head had been, but before she could get a good look, he flinched away, ripping his arm out of her gentle grasp, eyes still chained to the floor. “You’ve got some explaining to do.” She sighed, rubbing her hands over her exhausted face, “What the hell are you doing here? We’ve barely spoken in years... and suddenly you decide to pay me a visit at three in the morning?"

         "I'm sorry." He simply replied, with a stare on her that wasn’t intentionally cold, but it lacked anything behind it. It was completely soulless, the kind of stare you’d expect a damned soul in purgatory to look at Satan when he walked by.

         "Don't apologise… just tell me what's going on, you sounded really freaked out in your texts..."

         "It's nothing. I'm fine." He was quick to deny such texts without a falter in his tone. Completely rehearsed and ready. His eyes shifted their focus from hers to the pale yellow wall behind her, scanning over the sprinkle of colourful pictures and posters of bands with a dead-eyed stare as if he wasn't even there. Annoyed with his cryptic responses, Nellie threw up her hands in confusion, eyebrows furrowed at how nonchalant he's acting, until suddenly, his eyes snapped back to hers, the same cold stare taking control, rigid, cold, hard. But he’s not looking at her, he’s looking straight through her as if she’s invisible, and he could barely see her at all. “Come on, we need to get the others.” His response was curt, hurried, and rushed, all but kind, all of which made her heart wrench of an upcoming dread.

         "What others?" Nellie questioned, hastily stepping away from him, narrowly missing falling backwards onto her bed, as he lifted his hands out to grab onto her forearms.

         "Our friends!" His voice raised an octave, a wild yet gleeful grin now etched onto his once emotionless face, "Stacy, Lily, Noah, Ava and Andy. I've got something to show you, but we need to bring everyone."

Her eyes were stinging, becoming wet with a light coat of moisture the same way a child would before they cry, awaiting to fall onto her cheeks. The sight of Dan looking so haunted, spitting out delusional stuff like a homeless man shouting about the end of days, instead of worrying about his own well being — he was far more focused on getting everyone back together again, more so than his own mental stability and health.

         She released a slow sigh from her dry lips, like a softly deflating balloon, "Dan… I've barely spoken to any of that group since we were little kids. After what happened to Jane—"

         "But they have to come, Nellie." He forcibly interrupted, voice deepening to a desperate growl, teeth baring in anger like a rabid dog. He made a step forward, reaching out to grab her forearm, cold and clammy hands desperately clinging onto her as if his legs would give way any second, before yanking her towards him with surprising strength. "Everyone has to be there. That's the rule."

A seed of dread had planted itself in her gut the moment he showed up at her window but now it was sprouting in all directions and swallowing her whole.

She didn’t get a chance to respond to his delusional antics, or shove his pressing figure away, to give her some much needed space that he was treading into. Her long forgotten phone buzzed again, rattling against its position on the floorboards, and Nellie took this as a chance to get some help, call his parents or the goddamn mental institution. Taking a deep breath to soothe her racing heart, the girl knelt down to retrieve the device.

          “Dan, I want to help you, but honestly you’re kinda freaking me out right now.” She admitted with a small, wavering voice that she fought hard to strengthen, turning her attention back to the unstable boy in front of her who was visibly shaking. “Look, we’ve got our first day of school in, like, six hours. We can talk then, okay?”

The boy didn’t get a chance to agree or disagree when her phone buzzed again, with a muffled vibration against the palm of her hand. Glancing away from the now oddly quiet boy and down to the device in her hand, she slid her thumb against the screen and entered in her passcode.

But what she saw made her mouth run dry and an icy chill spread up the line of her spine.

 

**TEXT MESSAGE**

**DAN**  
Are you still there? I think I'm lost…  
Nellie? My battery's almost dead, please help me!  
_read 3:17 AM_

 

Her brain was clouded in a mix of blossoming unease and full blown panic, but her body refused to move. Her legs were filled with concrete as she was practically paralysed to the spot, unable to find the nerve or strength to move anything but her eyes that followed the messages on the screen over and over again, enough to recite every single word, letter and syllable. With dread ripping through her, creeping down her spine like a spider leaving a trail of silk, came trembling hands and a cold sweat breaking out all over her body.

         "We have to go back to the woods, Nellie." The boy repeated, voice strong and firm this time, face still like a soldier readying himself for a battle.

Her bedroom lamp started to flicker like an old movie reel, accompanied with a cold chill gust of air sweeping through the open window, creeping up her spine with frozen bites, and clinging to her pyjamas, so much so that her heart thumped even harder, punching against her lungs and rib cage like a crazed prisoner fighting to escape. In front of her frozen gaze was her phone serving as a barrier between her and him. Reluctant, and bustling with adrenaline, she slowly rose from her phone screen, meeting his eyes with her wide suspicious ones.

         "Dan?" She faintly whimpered.

Below Dan’s unmoving eyes sat a ghastly grin splitting across his shadowed face, stretching wide and further than humanly possible, it was a Cheshire grin of sorts, something she’d imagine would be conjured up in a nightmare. But then he spoke, through his gaping mouth was a simple word that in a normal situation wouldn’t frighten her but coming from his mocking tone made every bone in her body beg for her to run.

         " _Nellie._ "

Fear crippled through her like a toxic virus.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, adrenaline flooding through her veins quickly enough that her brain was shutting down the ability to think logically. The teenager started to back away, steps slow and steady, with her eyes not daring to look away from him in fear that this imposter would somehow gain the upper hand. Her mind was buzzing with potential escape routes, bracing herself for a chase, but she couldn’t get too far when she bumped against the edge of her bed frame, nearly tumbling over.

His mad grin never faltered watching her scramble to her feet like her legs were made of rubber. He was mocking her, like a ticking time bomb counting down the seconds to her impending doom. The boy lunged forward, clamping his hands over her wrists with an almost bone-breakingly vice grip — to the point that she could feel the bones grinding underneath the layer of skin, fat and muscle, completely subduing her to his every demands.

With every ounce of strength and adrenaline, her overworking lungs, her thundering heart, and her burning muscles could provide, the girl desperately tried to yank herself free from his grip like a wild beast pulling at a tightly held leash, but he didn’t budge, he gripped the reins tighter, fingers digging into the tender flesh of her wrist painfully enough to pull her back into place.

          “Hey!” She barked like a clap of thunder, polluting the atmosphere with vengeful rage spitting from her lips. With seconds remaining on the doomsday clock, she had to think fast, to start thinking with her fists and not with her brain. She had never been in a fistfight before and with that thought in mind, she ripped her hands from his tight grasp, squeezed her hand into a tight ball and slammed it hard against the imposter’s jaw; shaking out the pain that blazed up her arm, but it managed to hurt her more than it did to him. He kept on grinning.

A searing hot pain spread up her back before she realised that the imposter had tackled the girl to the ground like she weighed nothing more than a rag doll, smashing her head against the rough floorboards and pinning her beneath his body by his hips barricading hers.

          “We all have to go back. Don’t you remember?” He snarled, shoving her hard with each word, keeping her trapped under his weight.

          “Get off me!” The scream tore through her like a shard of glass through her vocal cords. She kicked and thrashed around in anguish, but he only pinned her down harder despite her futile attempts to escape his hold. With her head pounding against her skull and her aching chest, she managed to slip out of his hold and drag her sharp fingernails down the flesh of his cheeks, clawing at it like she was digging for gold.

But with her act of defiance came with punishment.

Leaning in as if he felt no pain, the imposter yanked her wrist into his hand again and with a hard, sickening **_CRACK_** , the teenager belted out a wail and howled like a banshee in gut-wrenching pain at the searing and icy-burning sensation of her wrist bone snapping in half and falling limp. Her body thrashed even more without her brains commandments as her scream pierced into the air like an air raid siren. He leaned in closer with a sick and twisted smile on his face, with a cold rancid breath that stunk of mouldy dirt and metallic blood fanning across her face, automatically triggering her gag reflex and then he spoke the telltale words of her childhood.

         " _Everyone plays together_ , Nellie."

He shoved himself away from her, giving her enough room to scramble away as weakly as she could with a broken wrist at her side whether it was intentional or not. She was about to bolt out the door when she froze — watching in horror as he belted out a mighty inhuman roar, splitting through the tense atmosphere. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, sienna irises vanishing and being replaced by milky whiteness. Drawing in laboured and rattled breaths, his putrid flesh rotted and peeled away from his skull, dropping onto the floor beneath them followed by his hair, leaving him to appear like a burn victims mangled and decaying corpse, stinking of stale dirt.

With a lewd grin, the zombie-like creatures slimy hands gripped onto Nellie's ankles, dragging her back to her original position underneath him before his hand wrapped around her throat in a tight squeeze that left her good hand clawing at his fingers for air. With each passing moment, her vision blurred and dimmed, leaving the creature atop of her to appear like a mass of bloody reds and purples. Shadows seemed to writhe and bleed into the dark room around but the girl fought like hell. She let out one last fight for survival, hand attempting to pry his fingers off one-by-one, but the air was being punched out of her lungs by the second — she couldn't scream for help. Her face was growing purple due to lack of air flow and blood was beginning to seep into her eyes. She knew she was going to die. There was no fighting it.

She simply sunk, paralysed and weak into the dark abyss that swallowed her whole like the ocean.

**...**


	4. one

**001\. RUNE STONES & BRUISES  
****(** chapter one _ **!**_ **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._

**MONDAY.**  
**8:23 AM.**

 

 **LIKE A FISH** out of water, Nellie sprung upwards, inhaling gulp after gulp of glorious air as her muscles flexed in shock. There was no slowly easing out of the blissfully unaware state of unconsciousness, no eyelashes prettily batting against her cheeks, no soft yawning with the welcoming sunshine penetrating through the blinds of her window — it was quick, heart lurching, eyes snapping open, and adrenaline still continuing to course through her veins. She looked crazy with sweat drenching her hairline, and her voice choking off as if she was in the middle of a scream, until suddenly she’s shook back to reality, body floating back down to earth.

Everything was blurry for a second as her eyes darted around the room in search of anything out of place but everything was normal, there was no haunting creature hovering above her, and there was no pearly white gates on her path to heaven. All she could see was her quietly whirring fan above her, and her fitted sheets and mattress underneath her. But she’s okay, she’s safe and she could finally breathe again.

The only difference she could pinpoint in her exhausted and frazzled mind was her lamp, oddly still glowing its beam of light, and her window still pushed open, but she had always been a forgetful person — perhaps she mistakenly left the window open and the lights on or perhaps not. The dream felt real enough that a part of her could have sworn something actually crawled through her window and clamped its hand around her tender throat, but she’s alive — despite having the air sucked out of her through a vortex.

          “What a messed up dream.” She tiredly mumbled to herself, running her slender fingers through her wild mess of earthy brown hair, disturbed from the night’s sleep with strands in an avalanche of chaos, tumbling around her freckled elfin features. It was only then when she realised her other hand laid limply by her side, flopping around uselessly like fish on dry land, followed by the familiar fuzzy feeling pooling around her wrist as if her limb didn’t belong to her before it gradually faded back to normal.

She slumped against her mattress with a puzzled expression adorning her features. How strange, and how coincidental that the same wrist that broke in the dream was now limp when she awakened. Shaking the thought from her mind, she slowly slipped out from underneath the thick, woollen blanket and winced at the dull pain spreading throughout her throbbing throat when she swallowed to rid the dryness from her mouth.

Her bare feet carried herself over to the mirror mounted against the wall to check her appearance and gasped at the image the mirror reflected. Around her neck was a purple stain of fingerprinted bruises digging into the tender flesh of her skin like tattoos of petalled flowers. Now she was thoroughly and ultimately confused with all sorts of thoughts intruding in her mind. _Was her dream actually real?_

          “No way, this can’t be happening.” She breathed out in disbelief, fingers poking and prodding at the bruises as if she could somehow wipe them away like makeup.

Her breath seemed to stutter in her lungs as she tried to make sense of things — her brain struggled to comprehend such perfect coincidence to the point that she couldn’t figure out if what happened was a dream or not. Someone, or _something_ came into her room last night and strangled her to death, but why was she still alive? She could have sworn her life had been sapped out of her, could have sworn she saw her body go limp from an astral projection.

It was far too coincidental for it to just be a dream but there was still one last thing she’ll have to check before she ruled it out.

Nellie’s phone still rested against the floor, unbothered and untouched. She immediately knelt down to grab it, awaking the device from its slumber to check if the text messages she received the previous night existed, and if so, then it definitely wasn’t a dream. But unfortunately for her, instead of the text messages appearing on her screen, the dead battery icon appeared instead, as if it was taunting her.

A flash of annoyance took control of her, funnelling all of her strength into an obnoxious groan as she tossed her dead phone into her old denim school bag, followed by her phone charger before turning to her sticker covered closet with a soft yawn.

Tiredly, the girl inspected through the mass of clothes hanging in her closet — eventually picking out a few choice articles and a fluffy towel before entering the small bathroom connected to her bedroom. The counters were covered in a clutter of face washes, toothpastes and an assortment of shampoos, and she could already hear her mother screeching at her disorderly mess. She let out a sigh, relaxing her shoulders as she slipped out of her warm pyjamas and tossed the dirty clothes into the wicker laundry basket. With the bright bathroom lights beaming down on her bare body, there was nowhere to hide from her imperfections. The angry red marks from the previous night stood out like a beacon on her fair skin, but they were easy to hide unlike the bruise on her neck.

After finishing her warm, refreshing shower, she dried herself and slipped into her chosen clothes for the day. A pair of light denim jeans, a random loose t-shirt, a baggy army green drawstring jacket, and laced up black combat boots (or what she would call the _‘zombie kicking boots’_ ) with creases and wrinkles weathered from her days of use.

Positioning herself in front of her bathroom mirror, she quickly made do with the little amount of makeup she had in stock, swiping a layer of mascara over her eyelashes and lathering on some concealer under her tired eyes and bruised neck until she looked presentable enough. No longer did Nellie look like a fearful cat with its fur standing on end. She looked relatively normal — well as normal as normal can get. Her unruly and chaotic brown hair was tamed and styled into careless waves falling like ripples in a river down the frame of her face while the rest of her face stayed dull and colourless.

Flicking her wrist over to check the time on her watch, she cursed under her breath when she realised the time. Knowing no buses came around the back streets of Westchester and nor did Nellie had any other ways of transportation, she had to settle on walking for a solid half an hour to reach her school, and if she wanted to be at school on time, she’d have to start now. Although usually she’d be fine to just sit around, watch some childish cartoons and fix herself a bowl of cereal while she waited for her mother to be finished with whatever her job wanted from her. But this time, due to her parents absence, she had to settle on the breakfast of champions, a singular vibrant red apple.

Her boot clad feet thumped loudly against the tired wooden staircase as she crossed over into the kitchen of sleek coffee stained counters, folded dish towels, and the familiar hum of the refrigerator dotted with overdue bills and reminders instead of magnets and crappy childhood drawings. She swiftly grabbed the apple from the fruit bowl and started munching on it, wiping at the splatter of juices dripping down her chin before she exited the house through the back, and locking the door behind her.

Her light blue eyes instinctively fell on the dark green forest bordering the edge of her yard, with thick trees swaying lazily in the wind behind a large fence overgrown with ivy. She swallowed deeply, the memory of Dan from the night before clinging to her mind like the echoes of a cave.

          “Mr. Red…” She gently whispered to herself as her eyes trailed over the line of trees threatening to step into her yard.

Mr. Red didn’t exist... it was all make believe. Kids have wild imaginations, it’s a fact. Who’s to say that the entity they saw when they were children was real when they were stupid kids? Jane died from a freak accident, she wasn’t murdered by a ghost — but a part of her knew, a part of her had _always_ known otherwise, and there was no denying the chill that ran up her spine at the thought of Mr. Red. A part of her knew what happened _had_ happened, not just a fad she’d been trying to unhealthily ignore for the past decade.

Taking a deep breath, she shook off the feeling and descended down the steps of her back porch — decorated with old wicker chairs and potted plants, she caught herself in the biting chill breeze, flowing between the unzipped jacket and hitting her skin beneath as her hair whipped wildly around her eyes just as her boots touched the dirt path below.

          “Morning neighbour!”

For a split second, Nellie almost jumped out of her skin, face washed with sudden shock at the friendly tone of her neighbour, Cid, calling from the yard next door, clad in his usual flannel outfit, and longish dirty blonde hair, which was contrasted by his scruffy but neatly trimmed beard.

          “Oh, hey Cid! What’s up?” The teenager responded with a casual wave.

          “Just coming back from our walk.” He replied sending a warm smile at the girl. His thick hands held onto a leash that was missing the dog usually attached to it, to which he glanced behind with a grin, “Hey, Hilda, look who it is!”

Without a warning for Nellie to brace herself for impact, a blur of black and white fluff crashed out from the green bushes panting with excitement. The adorable dog let out a happy bark as she bounded over to the girl, black bushy tail wagging behind her like a flag.

          “Hey, girl!” Nellie exclaimed as the dog pushed her body into hers as soon as she was close enough. She knelt down to the dogs level, running her fingers through her soft, groomed fur, whilst her sandpaper tongue dribbled all over the girl. “Good to see you too, cutie!”

          Hilda flopped onto her back, wriggling happily with her long pink tongue slipping out of her mouth when Nellie began to scratch at her stomach, involuntarily kicking out her little back legs when her nails scratched a certain spot. By now, Cid had entered her yard with a chuckle at the sight unfolding in front of him, of the usual moody teenager becoming mushy around a dog, “Your parents around? I didn’t see ‘em out and about this morning.”

          “Yeah, they’re still overseas dealing with my great aunt’s estate or whatever.” She answered with narrowed eyes and a sort of pinched expression. Nellie practically lived in that house on her own considering her parents were always busy on a conference trip or just overseas, leaving their seventeen year old daughter to fend for herself. But even if they were home, it didn't really make a difference. It was like living in a house of strangers. “They’ll be back in a couple of weeks.” She reassured him, though, it was more for herself.

          “Hell, that’s a long time for a kid to be by themselves, ‘specially in a big house like that.” He responded with concern. 

          “Yeah, well nothing like kegstands and strip poker to kick off a new school year, am I right?” She drily added with a chuckle, cutting across her own distressed thought.

Most teenagers would be ecstatic being home alone for weeks, partying, hooking up with random people without the watchful eye of their parents over their shoulders, but all Nellie really wanted was company — especially since the _dream_ she had. A part of her was curious about what would happen if she ended up following him — or whatever it was. But she didn’t exactly want to complain about her personal problems of being neglected by her parents to her innocent, unsuspecting neighbour and she also didn’t want to dwell on the fact that she’s terrified of being alone right now. She gave one last pat to Hilda’s head before she leaned back up to her feet, brushing the dirt from her hands.

          Cid let out a deep rumbled laugh at her sarcasm. “You know, as someone who’s been through college, I feel obligated to tell you that kegstands are a lot less fun than they sound. I mean, unless you like the feeling of cheap beer foam all up your sinuses.”

          Nellie cringed at the thought. “Gross. No thank you.”

He smiled ruefully but paused when his eyes critically trailed behind her, eyes squinting into the distance. He began to approach her house, his boots giving a resounding crunch on the dead leaves that fell from the singular somewhat skeletal oak tree in her yard. The girl followed closely behind him, heart pulsing in her chest as they reached a small loose pile of dirt at the bottom of the porch steps.

          “Huh, wonder what this is…” He thought out loud, crouching down and picking up a glossy black stone engraved with a series of lines and curves — like a rune of sorts. “This yours?” He asked, holding out the stone for the girl to grasp from his hand.

          It was solid and surprisingly heavy in her hands for the sheer size of it. Her thumb ran over the deep engravings that ran through the centre of the rune as she examined it with a mix of confusion and interest. “Weird.” Was all she could say, “I wonder where this came from… and what broke it.”

          “Beats me. Looks like a paperweight or somethin’.” Cid suggested with a loose shrug of his shoulders as Nellie brushed the remainder of dirt from the stone until she had to freeze and focus on the waves of lingering putrid scent it radiated wafting towards her nose.

Something familiar...

Like...

Cold earth and a hint of blood…

          “It smells just like that thing that—” She stopped herself short, words tumbling over each other in a forced stop knowing that she wasn’t even positively sure if what happened last night was real, and even if it was real, no one would believe her anyways and really, if she wanted to solve this mystery, she’s not going to bring in her neighbour.

          “Smells like what?” He pressed, eyebrows furrowed.

          “Uh… weird. It smells kind of weird.” She fumbled for words but thankfully Cid didn’t push any further, even though he was clearly unconvinced. He just nodded and brushed the dirt off his hands.

          “Well, I’ll let you get to school. You just let me know if you need anything, alright? My door’s always open.” He offered with a warm smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder.

          “Will do. Thanks, Cid.”

With that, he turned his attention back to Hilda with a whistle causing the dog to jump to her and feet and follow after him obediently.

With a shaky breath, her wide eyes fell back on the strange stone in her hand with a single blink. If what she saw last night was real, this stone could be a clue… somehow, especially if it smelt just like the monster that came into her dream last night. She had to keep it somewhere safe, somewhere hidden. Her dispirited gaze trailed over the mossy blue pond filled with lily pads and dragonflies and towards the old run-down garden shed at the edge of her yard, past the broken swing hanging from the decaying oak tree, and on the broken stone path crumbling with earthy vines and weeds.

The yard had once been lovingly maintained by her mother who carefully gave the yard lovely iridescent colours of blues and greens decorating every inch of it. She’d come outside every morning, heavily pregnant with her second child, holding a pink watering can for the flower beds that danced in the wind — she took pride in how beautiful the yard was until one day she just stopped. The baby had died in her stomach due to the complications of her pregnancy, and she had the fetus terminated and with her decaying mentality, as did her yard. She grew severely depressed and refused to touch the colourful flowers and fluffy grass because everything reminded her of the baby. Now bushes were a tangle of thorns, now the grass was a yellowing colour that reached Nellie’s knees, and now the plant pots that once held beautiful roses’ were cracked and broken.

And now all her mother did was work. And now she was a stranger to her daughter.

Nellie shook the thought from her mind as she marched along the stone path towards the shed with quick feet, feeling herself grow colder the closer she got to the threatening woods. Finally her clammy hands fell onto the old, rusted lock on the wooden plank door and jiggled it. It took her a few tries, but eventually after sometime at yanking, shoving and kicking, the door struggled open, screeching against the rusted hinges with each shove.

Switching on the light switch, a dim light emitted from the overhanging, yellowy light-bulb dangling above her head, leaving the room in semi-darkness. She cringed at the old smell of dust and cobwebs littered in all four corners of the shed and whatever hub of germs that were festering.

          “Jeez, when was the last time someone was in here?”

Possibly years, perhaps. The shed used to be filled with garden tools, heavy bags of soil and packets of flower seeds for her mother when she was obsessed with her garden — then it had turned into her father’s tool shed after mom had stopped caring about the yard. He had tried to fix things, maybe ignite her interest in gardening again, by patching up the walls, creating a brand new garden space for her, and trimming the overgrown brambles — but her mother was far too broken. Depression had clung to her like a wet dog. Years later, the shed still sat at the edge of the yard, untouched and neglected because her parents were either overseas or were inside typing away at their computers, and really, Nellie hadn’t exactly left the house in months — she didn’t have a reason to during the summer break.

Her summer vacation away from school was spent alone in her bedroom, reading and writing whatever story popped up in the overly imaginative brain of hers. Most students went to beach, had sleepovers with friends or did something particularly memorable, but Nellie practically melted into her mattress, alone in her empty home. It’s not to say Nellie didn’t have any friends because she did, it’s just none of them were the type of friends she’d see outside of school. But even with her parents home, she still felt somewhat lonely. Her parents had a child in the midst of the honeymoon phase of love but once that love ran out — it made her wonder if her parents genuinely wanted a baby in the first place or if they used a baby to keep the marriage together — and if that was the case, then what was her sibling meant to be?

In such an already loveless marriage, they decided to bring a second baby into it in hopes of reconciling and reconnecting — but all it did was make the first baby grow up in an empty house with no love.

She shook herself out of her stupor as she approached the empty workbench. The shed was empty all around her. The filing cabinets surprisingly didn’t have any paperwork in them which she’d expected her parents to already have took advantage of due to their many complaints of storage issues.

          She set the strange rune stone down on the dusty surface with a soft sigh. “I bet I could fit all kinds of stuff in here.” She said to herself, lips stretching into a little smile. If her parents had one day used this shed for their own interests, maybe she could keep the tradition going and use this storage space as her own. Giving one last worried glance to the stone, she flicked off the light switch and stepped out of the shed, shutting the door behind her.

**...**


	5. two

**002\. PRINCE CHARMING'S STEEL HORSE & LEATHER JACKET  
****(**    chapter two ** _!_     ) **

**. . .**

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._

**MONDAY.  
** **8:40 AM.**

 

 **NELLIE GRUMBLED LOWLY**  to herself as she stood at the edge of the long stretch of driveway connecting to her house; next to the mailbox awaiting the weekly mail. It agitated her to no end that she had to walk such a long distance to Westchester High, situated in the middle of town rather than the backroads where Nellie had to suffer, but it also gave her the perfect opportunity to think. To theorise, to make up scenarios, to question the strange dream, and to calm down her furiously beating heart.The quiet lone and desolate road was like an endless river of black, windy and long, running along the edge of the thick, and dense forest. Some leaves had fallen from the lazily swaying trees, colour beginning to fade away signalling that fall was right around the corner — it was something one would envision to only exist in a painting. Despite the long walk to school, being around nature was sort of therapeutic to her. Even from a young age, Nellie had always preferred to be one with the outside world. It'd be a hassle to even bring her inside. She'd spend her time playing in the woods with her friends, or camp out in her backyard whenever her parent's argued — a time before her life changed drastically. Although now as a teenager that sort of childhood wonder and naivety had simmered down from the dangers of humanity and the unknown, but being in the quiet, stillness of the outdoors was still something she'd never find herself growing old of.

After minutes go by in relative silence, the rumble of an approaching car suddenly came from behind her causing her to pause and watch as the vehicle crawled past her until the sight of the familiar looking driver forced her jaw to drop — but she just couldn’t put her finger on why this boy looked so familiar.

The boy behind the wheel of a black, vintage Camaro’s ashy eyes locked with Nellie’s momentarily, and his appearance was something she couldn't help but giggle at. He was practically the embodiment of prince charming; longish golden hair draping down the frame of his chiselled and handsome face and curling around his ears, but instead of a noble steed, he drove a nice and loud muscle car, and instead of a chain mail armour he wore a leather jacket. Everything matched to a bad boy exterior — she was surprised to not see a cigarette dangling loosely from his lips. He slowed his steel horse down to a stop beside her, and leaned his head out the open window with a charming smile.

          “Hey, do I know you from somewhere?” He asked, loud enough to hear over the rumbling engine.

          With her squinting eyes regarding his appearance, she simply shrugged, “I think so. I was just thinking the same thing… do you go to Westchester High?”

          The boy let out a burst of laughter at her statement, sighing when his giggles ran out, “Not anymore, thank God. Left that hellhole behind a couple years ago.” He casually replied, looking off into the distance as if recollecting some bitter memories.

          “Lucky you.”

          “Hang in there, you’ll be out before you know it.” The recognisable stranger offered, like a true spokesperson would say — all preachy and wise, making her inwardly roll her eyes. “Anyway, I’d better get off to work. Catch you later.”

And with that, the mysterious boy pressed his foot onto the gas and sped off, disappearing around a bend in the road before she could get his name.

**...**


	6. three

**003\. A POPULARITY DISPUTE  
(     **chapter three ** _!_     )  
**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER,_ _OREGON._ **_  
_ ** **MONDAY.**   
**9:01 AM.**

 

**WESTCHESTER HIGH WAS** filled with hordes of students trickling across the front yard with unfriendly, despondent scowls adorning their youthful faces — all seemingly devastated that they could no longer sleep in and relax. Friends greeted each other with tight hugs or a playful punch on the shoulder while others simply waved, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Freshmen kept their heads down to avoid confrontation from nearby bullies, new faces popped up here and there that Nellie couldn't recognise, big football stars raced past each other in an attempt to catch a soaring ball, and model worthy girls laughed and giggled with their girlfriends, showcasing their latest purchase — it was the type of wonderful chaotic ways of High School that one could only despise in the moment but miss it a little when it's over.

Nellie managed to push past the constant stream of decorative teenagers, each sharing different types of personalities and different ways of life — while others struggled to find their own identity and copied others instead. She headed towards the less crowded corridor, adorned with a banner of the school's logo and an enthusiastic slogan that read, ' _BUILDING A BETTER WORLD, ONE STUDENT AT A TIME_ ' in bold writing — though what it really meant was ' _WE DON'T CARE MUCH FOR THE STUDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH AS LONG AS THEY HAVE GOOD GRADES OR PLAY SPORT_ ' — which had also earned the motto; 'building a failure-fearing and depressed teenager, one stressful test at a time' by most of the student body. The corridor was bland and straight forward, coated in the odd stench of deodorant and body odour mixed together and painted in a boring shade of white with the teacher's so gratefully adding primary colours in a form of educational and suicide prevention posters dotted about that the teenagers ignored as they carried on their daily tasks.

She squeezed through the amiable chatter of students, trying her hardest to remain under the radar by dodging bullies and confrontation like bullets. She sighed in relief when she reached her bland locker, turning the dial and swinging it open until a breath of air brushed against her ear causing her to snap her head in the direction it came from.

And she was thoroughly thankful to see that it was only Ava Cunningham releasing a frustrated breath from her thick lips. Ava was one of her old friend’s back when their little toes could hardly touch the floor. Like the rest of her childhood friend’s, they both shared a bunch of nostalgic memories that she would look back fondly on, but they also shared trauma with each other, and just like the rest of her childhood friend’s, they hadn’t exactly spoken in years. Ava had always been a pretty girl, although most of the time people don't see past her Gothic attire and her blonde and hot pink dreadlocks. Her smooth chestnut skin was soft like a sepia tone in a photograph, and under her wild hair were two eyes the shade of copper, holding a mischievous glint within them that she still hadn’t lost after all those years. That was the Ava Cunningham, Nellie grew to know and love.

          “Oh, hey Ava.” Nellie greeted with an awkward half smile and a slight wave, she turned towards the Gothic teenager, watching as she fiddled with her locker dial and holding a piece of paper with a series of numbers in the other hand. A part of her felt wrong even talking to her — like it wasn't her place to say hello. It had been years, ten-long-years without so much as a text. The most communication the group had was a small smile when they see each other in the hallway or an awkward wave but never an actual conversation. They had all changed, grew like flowers, though some where thriving and while other's were wilting.

Upon hearing her name, Ava turned towards her and paused with a faint look of recognition flashing beneath the surface of her hardened expression. Finding Nellie Griffin beside her was a strange sight — hell, finding anyone from that old friend group beside her was strange. Every one of them hadn’t spoke since Jane’s funeral, focusing on their own mental health or trying to fall back into a normal routine in a _normal_ life. Meaningful friendships came few and far between for Ava, but none of them were the same as the seven friends she had when she was a child, capturing frogs and releasing them after they examined them, chasing after each other and playing in the woods — now she remained a loner, sticking to her occult studies instead of making friends.

Even though she had yearned for communication with them, she didn’t show it — too stubborn for her own good to put her pride on the line. Perhaps she was scared of rejection, being rejected by the only friends she had, she didn’t know. So, she remained her stoic self, eyes returning to their normal careless look with her black painted lips pursed.

          “Sup.” She simply replied, turning back to her locker without a second glance.

          Nellie cocked her eyebrow at her casual response, not entirely sure what she was expecting, but she didn’t question her dismissive attitude further. She shrugged, “Not much. That hasn’t always been your locker, has it? I’ve never seen you use it before.” She questioned after a moment of searching her brain for a conversation starter and turning towards her own locker to exchange her books.

          Ava's glare was fixed to the locker, something sullen and sour along with it as she tried to avoid Nellie’s soft gaze, “Got reassigned.” She answered, voice deadpanned and devoid of any type of emotion. No sadness, nor anger  —  Nellie would probably get more of a conversation out of talking to a store mannequin. She kicked her locker door shut after some time, shrugging her aged, fraying backpack onto her petite shoulders and turned to leave but froze when a familiar figure shuffled into the corridor, “Oh, look it’s Lily.”

Following Ava’s gaze, Nellie’s blue eyes landed on the skittish girl, Lily Ortiz, clutching a bunch of textbooks to her chest, with her emerald green eyes flickering around in a subtle type of panic as she scurried through the crowds of students. Her inky black hair flowed in perfect curls, landing on the top of her broad shoulders giving contrast to her fair skin and red bow in her hair. She was a nerd  — or whatever the new term for her was this time by bullies. The irony of being treated badly by unintelligent people all for being intelligent. Considering the girl was wide, tall, and broad, she wasn’t society's standard of what’s ‘attractive’ and would often be the subject to many crude jokes by the student body. She was a plus-sized teenager, but it was not much she could change when it was hereditary and the strict diets and exercise regimes she had been suffering with hadn’t exactly changed her weight or rather no one had noticed. 

But Nellie with her martyr complex always found it was her duty to defend Lily from bullies,  despite the fact they drifted apart since their childhood — but it didn’t suggest that Nellie didn’t care about her. 

          The girl approached them with light and timid footsteps, shoulders hunched over as if she was trying to shield herself from the world around her, “Um… hi, guys.” She meekly greeted, ducking her head to hide the tinge of a burning rose rising to her cheeks.

          Nellie offered her a warm and welcoming smile, an upward lift of her soft lips that didn’t quite reach the eyes — lit with a certain type of sadness, “Hi, Lily. It’s been a while, how was your summer?”

          Lily didn’t smile back, eyes drifting to the shiny linoleum floor instead as if something was tugging at the back of her mind and she didn’t exactly know how to convey it.  With a shrug of her shoulders at Nellie’s question, she pursed her lips, “It was good… I just got back from doing a coding camp up in Portland.” She responded, a now light and proud smile tugging at her lips, “One of the other girls invited me to collaborate on a game she’s working on!”

         “That’s awesome!” Nellie exclaimed, a grin now etched onto her face at Lily’s achievements. “Let me know if you ever need a play-tester.” She added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, earning a quiet and soft giggle to escape Lily’s mouth. 

          The giggle faded along with her smile as her eyes furtively glanced around the corridor in suspicious secrecy, as if she was under the lens of a sniper's scope, one wrong move and the soft hair trigger touch will take her out.  “There’s um,” She paused, clearing her throat, lowering her voice and leaning in closer, ignoring the dark curls that fell into her eyes, “There’s actually something I wanted to talk you about..."

          Nellie's eyebrow's furrowed at the sudden secrecy, curiosity flaring up like a cat fixated on its prey. “Sure, what’s up?” 

          “I got some really weird texts last night.” Her soft voice trailed off with a gentle croak, teeth tugging at her cracking lower lip, and Lily wasn’t sure if she wanted an answer or not but she asked, locking eyes with Nellie, “Did you?”

Nellie’s eyes darted around in shock, searching Lily’s face for any type of of micro-expression that would tattle on her lying mouth  — but nothing came out of her deception, Lily’s face remained still, eyes wide with green pools of panic. But before Nellie could respond, answering her question with another shocking revelation, the stench of popularity oozing from the pores of cheerleaders seemed to waft closer and closer until Nellie caught the culprit. Glancing away from Lily’s face and towards the source, she scowled when the lithe cheerleaders waltzed by, chatting loudly and obnoxiously amongst themselves.

With their preppy steps and upturned noses, eyeing down the rest of the student body in disgust — it really made Nellie wonder what kind of power trip do these popular students get out of the expense of others? Feeding off their self esteem like parasites until the victim was drained of self-confidence, leaving the parasites fat and round from an ego boost. No human was born conniving and evil, they became that way through choices or they develop it by nurture — perhaps they had a tough upbringing? Perhaps they weren’t hugged a lot as a child, or they developed a personality disorder that made them very good at being malicious and rude? Who knew. Who knew how someone could continuously seek out innocent people and not feel guilty about it afterwards.

Popular students were almost always the conventionally attractive ones — and once they get the admiration and love for being attractive, the power of popularity gets to their heads and they feel it’s their duty to gain more power at the expense of others by making a temporary joke about someone’s appearance without caring about the exit wound.

That was the problem with Britney, Jocelyn and Cody. The main bullies at Westchester High — the ones the students steered clear of to avoid confrontation.

          “Oh my god, look, I’ve been ghosting this guy for, like, two solid weeks and he just asked me out for coffee again!” Britney cackled loudly, shoving her expensive brand-name phone towards her friend’s face who joined in on the laughter.

Britney was the leader of the trio — head bitch, if you will. She was horrible, the type of girl to tease other girls and flirt with their boyfriends as punishment if they don’t follow her rules. She was also the type of girl to flash a smile and get what she wants. She was pretty but only on the outside and she got the amount of attention as you’d expect. With a golden bronze skin tone, honey brown eyes and the effortlessly styled dark brown hair, she was bound to be apart of the clique.

          Ava couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the shrill voices of the popular girls, added with a overly dramatic groan, “Oh boy, just when you think high school might not be the sucking necrotic chest wound that you remember…”

          Cody let out a bellow of laughter, rumbling from the depths of his toned stomach — louder than the two girls combined. “Yikes, desperate is not a good look.”

Cody was the brute of the bunch. He had the muscles, but lacked the brains. Despite this, girls were still lined up for him, seduced by his bad boy charm that never failed to rile them up. Unlike Britney’s emotional harassment, Cody preferred the physical aspect and would often target freshmen under Britney’s command to stuff them into lockers. He was that type of bully. But regardless, just like Britney, he was also a pretty boy. He clearly took care of his appearance, not a single blemish on his pale skin, not a single strand of light brown hair out of place in his coiffed hairstyle, and his grim hazel eyes were always accompanied with a sneer on his full lips.

          Jocelyn let out a questioning squeak at Britney’s comment, “Maybe he’s just not scared of ghosts? You could try clowns instead. Clowns are gross.” She said with a certain type of expression akin to an overly confident and arrogant patron at a bar. She smiled innocently, her doey-brown eyes peering up at her friends who looked down at her questioningly.

Like every cliche popular group, there was always the dumb one who had difficulty deciphering sarcasm and slang. That was Jocelyn. Stupid, but quick on her feet. In fact, she was more violent and physically intimidating than Cody despite her smaller size. She wasn’t like Britney with her manipulation tactics, she just liked to hurt people, prompted by her sick and twisted need to humiliate people. She was just as equally pretty as Britney — long dark brown hair falling in waves just under her collarbone, a round pale face from her Asian heritage, and slanted glossy umber coloured eyes.

          “That’s not…” Britney started, but shook her head in disbelief at Jocelyn’s lack of intelligence. Her ponytail swayed with the movements and brushing against the nape of her neck. Tied to the bands of her ponytail was a white bow wrapped around it matching with her cheerleader uniform that she wore, ‘Go Wolves!’ embroidered on her chest. “Joss, do you even know what—”

By Nellie’s side, Lily beamed with a rush of adrenaline, heart fluttering in her chest with a burst of butterflies erratically fluttering in her stomach.

         “H-hi, Britney!” She shyly called out, absolutely smitten with admiration upon seeing the girl as she clutched her books even tighter.

          The popular group stopped in their tracks, baffled by the newcomers voice daring to interrupt their conversation. With an aloof scowl, Britney turned to Lily, eyes observing her like a job interviewer would to an unemployed person wearing the wrong shoes, eyes roaming and criticising her choice of clothing — then a grimace like smile appeared lighting up her features in a cold sort of way. “Wow, Lil, great sweater. I didn’t know Baby Barn had a quadruple-XL section.” She mocked and just like that, Lily’s beaming smile died quicker than a candle flame being snuffed out.

          “I-I just wanted to say hello.” Lily stammered, averting her eyes in humiliation like a peasant would to a royal queen.

          Britney casted her eyes at Lily just long enough to catch the red-rimmed eyes brimming with unshed tears, “And I want a red Ferrari for my birthday, but I’ll settle for not having to listen to your whiny voice anymore.”

Nellie wanted to bite her tongue clean off to prevent herself from playing the martyr card — running on the instinctual need to protect the people she cared about. She had promised herself the moment she set foot in this school to avoid any type of conflict to remain under the radar but she could already feel herself becoming a massive red blimp on Britney’s radar. 

She had to say something. Seeing Lily’s fallen face was enough to set her off. And so she did.

          “Right, because basing your fashion sense on whatever the wannabe models on Pictagram are wearing is way cooler.”

It wasn’t the greatest of insults but it was better than stooping to their level of pettiness. They feel the need to bully someone’s choice of clothing or their appearance but Nellie wasn’t an asshole. Her voice was filled with irritation, eyes uninterested and bored, a lie compared to her furiously racing heart in her chest, beating with adrenaline — but it was enough to draw everyone’s attention to her, each staring her down with a grin of surprise — all beside’s Britney who turned to her with a sneer.

          “News flash, Nellie, no one asked you.”

          “Britney, just because you’re pretty doesn’t give you the entitlement to be a parasite. Your good looks can only get you so far, but remember when you’re prettiness starts to fade and all you have left is your garbage personality, who’s going to still stick around? And besides, I also didn’t hear anyone else asking for your opinion either, so maybe you should take your unsolicited fashion advice and shove it up your ass.”

          Britney scoffed in disbelief, not at all expecting such a big response from the usually quiet girl. “You, so, do not want to piss me off, Nellie.” At this point, by the look of Britney’s utter disdain, eyebrows in a harsh frown, lips in a grim sneer, fists clenched and a certain fury in her eyes — she could tell she wasn’t bluffing but still, Nellie wasn’t going to back down from a fight. 

          With a forced laugh in her face, Nellie stepped forward, feeling herself grow even more confident by the second, “What’s going to happen then, Brit Brit? You’re going to call me a bitch, maybe hit me around a few times, and then what? You might get a bit of a rush, you know, like a drug, you’ll get an ego boost from breaking someone’s spirit. And guess what’s going to happen next? You won’t change, and what I said will still remain true.”

Britney’s jaw clenched but she didn’t say any more — hopefully taking in what Nellie said but it was doubtful. Her eyes locked with Nellie’s in an intense battle of staring and the only rule was that whoever looked away first was the loser. Behind Nellie was Lily, looking down at the floor in an attempt to bite back the small smile on her rosy lips and Ava who watched on with slight pride and a smirk.

          “Oh yeah? Well—”

          “Shhh, witty comebacks aren’t your strong suit, Track and Field Barbie.” Leaning against the locker with an amused expression by the commotion but tired of the bickering, Ava cut across Jocelyn’s half-assed attempt of an insult— not allowing her to finish such a gruelling task that may hurt her brain if she tried too hard. 

          “Cross country.” Jocelyn corrected, crossing her arms over her chest.

          “I know. I used the wrong one on purpose to piss you off. Try to keep up.”

          “How about you go haunt some other hallway, freak?” Cody spat with a smouldering look in his narrowed eyes. There was a hot red tinge high on his cheekbones from the mere notion of someone offending his holiness — how unheard of, how insane of Nellie and Ava to fight back.

Ava remained unfazed by his outburst. She’s surprised there wasn’t froth collecting in the corner of his mouth or he wasn’t punching holes in walls in a torrent of rage. She cocked her head to the side, feeling her hot pink dreadlocks dangle around her pierced ears, and sent him a long, ponderous look — searching for something, she didn’t exactly know. Suddenly she reached forward, long, slender fingers, nails painted in a shiny chrome black and plucked away a stray hair from the material of his flannel jacket around his broad shoulder. 

          “You know, I keep meaning to try out this new curse I found on the internet. If you feel a burning sensation in your eyeballs, that’s normal.”

          His hair trigger fuse fizzled immediately, jaw going slack as he stumbled away from her, “The hell…” He murmured, unsure if she was being serious or not — no one knew. He squirmed uncomfortably under her still gaze as if he saw a creepy bug crawl up his leg but all he saw was the slender fingers of Ava’s wiggling mystically before she saluted to him like a soldier would to a general and stalked down the long hallway, disappearing in the crowd of students.

          “Ewww, Cody! What’s going to happen to your eyeballs?!” Jocelyn squealed in repulsion, lip curling and her nostrils flaring as if her insides were curdling.

          Britney just rolled her eyes at Jocelyn’s inability to understand sarcasm, “Chill, Jocelyn. That weirdo just reads too many vampire novels. With any luck she’ll flunk out and go live in a dirty old shack like Pritch the Witch.”

          “She is just like Pritch the Witch! We should call her, uh… Ava the Witch!” She let out a joyful laugh that was loud enough to cause Lily to flinch at the sheer volume of it. 

          “Wow, good one, Joss.” Cody falsely praised, clasping his hands on her shoulders with a scrunched up nose and a grimace-like smile.

          Nellie released a soft low sigh, all tension leaving her along with it as her adrenaline from her initial retort died down. “Well, lovely as this has been, we should probably go—”

          She was cut off by Jocelyn’s sudden loud gasp, forcing her to pause in shock. She stepped forward, roughly grabbing Nellie’s face and lifting it up enough to see the skin of her neck, peaking above her army green jacket with sudden interest, “Oh. My. God. Is that a hickey?” She questioned with a large suggestive grin on her face, reaching out her fingers to poke and prod at the tender purple bruises as if her sex life (lack there of) was the most interesting thing in the world.

          “Ow, get off!” Nellie reprimanded, yanking her head out of Jocelyn’s hands and swatting at her prying manicured fingers like annoying flies. 

          “Yeah right, like anyone would want to chew on this social reject.” Cody scoffed with a wicked grin painted on his lips — and it really made her wonder what kind of girl would find this boy attractive in any way, shape or form. Sure he was a good-looking boy, but were people really going to look past his garbage personality all for his perfectly coiffed hair and strong jawline? There were some girls who wanted him badly enough to scratch and claw their way to getting him, fight other girls to get a piece in on the action, and he loved it — there was no doubt he loved the female attention. But he was repulsive, borderline on the spectrum of a psychotic disorder by the way he breathed in the way girls reacted around him like he was some sort of god. Personally, he only hated Nellie because she refused to give in to him, refused to submit to his 'charming' personality, and that was a fact. Hell, if the whole world treated you like a divine benevolent being, and one person didn’t? They’d be banished, casted out of a peaceful life and treated like the villain. That was how the world worked. That was how  _ he _ worked.

          “For your information — even though it’s literally none of your business, but if you must know… it is a hickey. And get this, you’re going to be totally surprised about who gave it to me. Well, the other day, I got it from _ Cody’s mom. _ ” 

It was a childish thing to say, something you'd expect a ten year old to say as an insult, but what’s worse than insulting a boys holiness? Bringing a stupid joke about the boy’s mama into the equation. She stuck out her tongue, watching as the chaos brew under Cody’s pensive glare, waiting for the burst of anger to erupt. 

          Instead it was Jocelyn who spoke first. “Huh?” She gasped, eyes glancing back and forth between Cody and Britney who were already staring with a dumbfounded expression at Nellie, “I thought Cody’s mom was in Aspen this week.”

          Ignoring Jocelyn’s idiotic response, Cody stepped forward with a scowl, practically pressing Nellie against the metal locker in a prison cell, his arms being the bars and him towering over her as the menacing guard, “You should watch what you say, Nellie. That little mouth of yours tends to get you in trouble.” 

          He stood a whole head taller than Nellie, and she’d be lying if she didn’t feel a rush of fear crush into her lungs but she remained subtle, face deadpanned until she couldn’t hide the crease of her lips — an arrogant triumphant smirk appearing because she managed to get under his skin — just a small pouting of her red lips tugged upwards, narrowed eyes and the tilting of her head. And then she smiled, completely disregarding her victories. “You go lay down, big boy, before you burst a blood vessel.”

          He was about to retort but thankfully Britney decided to end her reign of hell and yank back her hounds by their chains with a roll of her eyes and a dramatic, impatient sigh. “Whatever. Fascinating as this convo is, I need to get ready for the pep rally.” With a jerk of her head, her two henchmen followed behind her like well-trained dogs. But Cody didn’t stop there — of course he wouldn’t. He had to get the last word in to protect his dignity. He sneered at her as he pulled away only to shoulder-check her on his way out causing her to bite back a pain-filled grunt at his larger weight against hers.

          “Hey!” Lily barked, scowling at their retreating forms but they didn’t turn around for her. 

          “We’ll catch up later, Nellie.” Cody called, turning around to send her a malicious grin before he disappeared around a corner.

          Once he was out of sight, Nellie finally let her guard down, releasing a long breath she had been holding in and stopping her brave attitude and coming back down to earth. She cursed under her breath at the tinge of pain radiating from her shoulder, rubbing at it with a wince. “This year’s already off to a great start, huh?” She bit out, turning her attention to Lily.

         “Should we report them to the office, or?”

         “Sure, millionth time’s the charm, right? Maybe this time they’ll actually get in trouble.” She scoffed, shaking her head and rubbing at her sore shoulder that still continued to throb and ache. Each time the trio do something heinous, the most they'd get was a slap on the wrist, no other types of punishment went their way to the point people had made conspiracy theories that they give the teachers 'hush' money, allowing them to do whatever they want without any type of consequences. That would be the only explanation. 

Lily smiled ruefully at the scowling brunette in front of her but didn’t say anything further, instead she gestured towards the gym doors with a nod of her head and Nellie followed behind her to join the crowd of students shuffling towards the gym.

**...**


	7. four

**004\. HE'S BACK  
** **(**    chapter four _ **!**_ **)**

**. . .**

_WESTCHESTER,_   _OREGON._    
 ** ** **MONDAY.**    
**** ** ** ** **9:24 AM.********

 

**AS SOON AS** the girl's entered the high school gym, Nellie's swirl of thoughts were immediately drowned out by the loud music filling the stuffy air — blaring out of the old, dusty speakers situated in all corners of the room, coughing out the grime and rhythmic beats of a familiar popular song. For a semi-small town with not enough residents to be considered a city, the school happened to shell out far too much money than it's worth. Westchester High had an impressive gymnasium big enough to hold rows of bleachers and a basketball court centred in the middle. They had an auditorium with rows of red, cushioned seats and a big stage where they held plays and concerts, but was mainly utilised for assemblies. They had expensive musical instruments and a large, green football field planted at the back of the school for the football team. For a not-so-city town, they sure acted like it.

Nevertheless, for a school with just barely enough students, she’s always surprised to find the multitude of students filling the bleachers up to the brim. Mixed in with the loud music was the amiable chatter of students rising to the air along with it — all excitedly talking amongst themselves while others hunched over their laptops, typing away at the keys. Nellie inwardly shuttered at the sheer amount of eyes that did or  _ did not _ fall on her. Anxiety had rushed into her veins, sprouting disheartening messages into her brain along with the familiar feeling of claustrophobia from the amount of student's shoved into one place. Even if no one was paying her any mind, still their eyes seemed to burn right into her skull. She wished she could of made it to the gym earlier and found a seat in a corner, against a wall so no one would have to see her scramble for a spot because she'd trade the world for a lifetime of anonymity.

        Lily turned towards Nellie upon capturing the subtle way her mood shifted from neutral to paranoid. Her thoughts were visible enough for her to notice — Nellie had never been good at hiding her emotions, she always wore her heart on her sleeve. Lily lightly laid her hand on her shoulder as a token of her sympathy, and peered up at her under her inky curls, “Nellie, are you okay?”

        Nellie was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts as if she had been awakened from a hypnotic trance by the soothing touch on her shoulder. She sent a forced, small smile into Lily’s direction, feigning ignorance to her concerns with a nod. “Y—yeah. Just, uh, kinda crowded in here. You see anywhere to sit?” She replied, quickly changing the subject with a disconnected and distant look adorning her face, eyes scanning the bleachers for an empty seat.

        Lily seemed to be already searching for an empty spot before she had even asked, head turning to get a better look as she stood on her tippy toes to see over the abundance of blonde and brunette heads still shuffling to find a seat to slink into, “Not really,” She deduced with a small frown, “Looks like there are a couple of seats there next to… oh never mind. That’s Ava’s spot.”

Nellie’s eyes followed the direction where she was gesturing to, spotting Ava casually sitting by herself in the top row of the bleachers scribbling in a worn out sketchbook that was practically ripping at the seams. The dry-leather covered book was leaning against her fishnet-covered knees with her ballpoint pen gliding across the page with delicate ease but when a couple of freshmen with bulky bags and nerve twisted faces moved to sit in the empty space beside her — she let out a hiss like an agitated feral cat, glaring as they scurried away in fright, tripping over each other like greased up pigs.

Nellie watched in amusement as Ava’s dark gleeful eyes fell from the frightened students and landed on Nellie’s, where a sheepish but proud grin stretched onto her face. There’s a beat before the girl gestured to the empty seat beside her with an expectant nod. 

        “Is… she inviting me to sit by her?” She questioned Lily, but the question was more to herself — unable to read through Ava’s lines. Even when they were kids, it had always been difficult deciphering Ava's words and emotions. Most people could figure out a person’s emotions just by observing their micro-facial expressions, and their body language but unlike Nellie, Ava was a professional at hiding. She had acted aloof when she first saw Nellie by the lockers, scowl staining her face in a disinterested glare like she didn’t want anything to do with her, and suddenly — not even an hour later, she’s gesturing for her to sit beside her like they were good friends. That girl was strange, but her apparent mood swings were stranger.

        “I think she is!” Lily confirmed, but her expression remained unsure as her eyes trailed over the stoic teenager, “You go ahead… Ava kind of… um, scares me a little.”

Nellie shrugged. Maybe she should go sit with her. What harm would that do? Sometimes she’d think back to the mischievous bond they shared as kids and her heart would ache at the sentimental memories she and her childhood friends had made at one point in time. It’s just — things were so different now. High school and puberty happened to change people in more ways than one — even the most innocent of people could end up becoming someone they swore they wouldn’t. People grow up, people’s interests and personality traits change, people find new friends, people gain popularity, and it’s hard to remain friends with people when there was a giant rift separating them. She’d have to break down the barriers, swim through the riptide with all her strength and thrust herself into their lives for them to even consider reuniting. It’s easier making friends when you’re a kid, there’s no fear of rejection, there’s no judgement. Now there were cliques, a status to uphold, and an appearance they had to keep up with.

But seeing Ava pat the empty seat beside her made everything feel lighter. Even if there was going to be potential awkwardness and silent breaks with no words spoken between, it was still nice to be acknowledged. Not only that, but it’d be a great opportunity to talk with her about last night. She knew all about the weird and the unknown, and besides, it’d just be nice to talk to someone who might actually believe her and not think she’s crazy.

        “You sure?”

        “Yeah, I think I see a spot next to Mr. Cooper.” Lily replied, nodding in reassurance as her eyes fell on the stern English teacher who’s deep brown eyes were just as dark as his skin. He was sitting a few rows away from the duo, idly sitting in silence, tapping his waxy-leather clad shoes to the beat of a song. “Oh, and thanks for your help earlier, Nellie.”

        Nellie nodded in appreciation with a smile, “Anytime. See you later, Lily.” She watched as the girl shuffled away before she slipped into the crowd, ambling her way towards the teenager who continued to doodle in her book absentmindedly. She climbed up the bleachers, reaching the top row and manoeuvred her way through the thinning crowd that still made her heart lurch at the swell of people as she went to sidle over to Ava’s corner. “Hey, anyone sitting here?”

        Ava glanced up from her page of scribbles, eyes locking with Nellie’s before shrugging casually, “Just my ghost friend, but he’s incorporeal so it doesn’t really count.” Nellie softly chuckled at the witty joke but stopped when Ava didn’t join in. “What?”

       She scanned her face for any type of reaction that would distinguish a joke from reality but all she got was a suspended silence hanging above them and Ava’s emotionless face. Nellie’s cheeks flushed pink with a seed of embarrassment wedged deep in her gut before she murmured, “Uh… sorry, I just can’t tell if you’re messing with me.”

        Ava smirked, faintly painted dark lips tugging upwards, “It’s all part of my mystique,” She said, dark eyes lazily darting towards Nellie’s light ones. Nellie observed the empty wooden bench that was coated in varnish, giving it a waxy shine reflecting off the gymnasium bright lights — before her eyes flickered back to Ava’s face. Without a second thought, she plopped down on the empty space, already shrugging off her backpack. “Bold move, sitting on someone's lap before you’re even introduced.”

        “Maybe the ghost and I can grab a coffee later.” Nellie teased, earning a huff of laughter to leave Ava’s lips.

The conversation stopped there with a wave of heavy silence settling over them as they grew quiet. Ava turned her attention back to scribbling into her sketchbook with her boots tapping absentmindedly against the bench below her feet. Nellie shifted awkwardly, plucking at her clothes as she tried to gather the courage to pop the question, and ask her about the dream and the bruises — but for some reason it was difficult to conjure up the right words, like her tongue was swollen and her throat had closed up. The tense silence washed over Nellie, a strange combination of the loudness from the surrounding teenagers and the awkward silence that left her feeling like she overstayed her welcome. It went on like that for the next couple of moments, Nellie tapping her fingers, and Ava tapping her boots while discreetly casting sideway glances, from the sketchbook to Nellie — back and forth, until the silence became too loud.

        Jutting out her bottom lip, Ava released a slow sigh, blowing up her dreadlocks dangling around the frame of her face in the process, “So, you gonna tell me what you’re so freaked out about? Or are you having fun dismembering that poor bench?”

        “Huh?” Ava gestured downwards with a nod of her head until Nellie realised her fingers had been picking anxiously at the edge of the bleachers, pulling out splinters of wood and leaving a mess beneath her boots. Pulling her hands away from the splinters, she dusted it off on her jeans with a considering sigh, “Okay… yeah, I do want to talk about it. It’s just… it’s kind of a weird story.”

        Ava gave her an incredulous look, “Nellie, look at me. Weird is my middle name.”

        “Really?”

        “Well, no it’s Delores. But if you tell that to anyone I will go to your house and hide eyeballs in your food.” She retorted with an empty threat, or at least Nellie hoped it was.

        “Where would you even get—”

        “Next time you go to pour a bowl of cereal?  _ Bloop, _ eyeballs.”

        There’s a beat of silence before Nellie gave in to her theatrics with a nod, “Noted. So...” She paused, head tilting toward the brightly illuminated ceiling before mumbling quietly, “What would you say if I told you that last night I saw some kind of… monster?”

        Closing her sketchbook upon noticing the seriousness of her question, Ava pursed her lips, intrigued eyes locking with Nellie’s distant ones, as if she’s searching through her brain for an appropriate answer to give, “Depends. What’d this monster look like?”

        Nellie fiddled with her fingers, picking at her chipped nail polish rather than the wood of the bleachers — she puffed out her cheeks as she looked around ensuring no one was listening in on their conversation before returning back to Ava and lowering her voice, “Well… he looked like Dan, at least at first.”

        It didn't take long till Ava's eyebrows arched upwards, eyes widening as the information sunk in, before she's in complete immersion, placing her chin on her fist in sick curiosity, “Whoa, plot twist. Keep going.”

        Trust Ava to react that way. Anything weird and wonderful was up her alley. Nellie released a frustrated sigh to stream into the stuffy air as she gathered her thoughts and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose as if she was suffering from a migraine, “Once I figured out it wasn’t Dan, it attacked me. Then its face kind of melted off, and underneath the skin was… dirt. Like a… I don’t know…”

         “A golem.” Ava answered for her, cutting her off as Nellie’s brain struggled to find a logical answer for an illogical question.

         “A golem?” She echoed, eyes narrowing, “What’s that?”

        The girl shuffled closer, squeezing in close enough for Nellie to be able to smell the peachy scent wafting from her hair as she dipped her head and lowered her voice, “A humanoid form usually crafted from dirt or clay, animated by a supernatural force.” The words flowed from her lips expertly like a manuscript of words from the top of her head. She nodded to herself as she tucked a dreadlock behind her ear, “Sounds like it fits the bill.”

        The chatter of students faded into background noise as her words bounced around in Nellie's head. It seemed the most plausible, or at least sounded the most similar. She slumped against the bleachers, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, her brows creased and face tensed. “I guess… the weirdest thing is that I woke up the next morning and it was gone. Why would it attack me and leave?”

        Ava shrugged, “Full disclosure,” She quickly went on to say, “My knowledge of golem's is, like, sixty percent Wikipedia and forty percent this dude named ‘MagicStan75’ who I met on a warlock forum. Maybe whatever power that animated the golem is temporary. Or maybe it was all a dream.”

Nellie shuddered at the thought. It still didn’t explain why most of what happened in the dream had an affect on the real world, like her room — window still being open, lights still on — and that also didn’t explain what kind of power animated _ ‘Dan’  _ to want everyone back together, to go back into the woods after they swore an oath not to. As she reached her slender fingers up to feel the tender bruise on her neck — as if to remind herself that what had happened _ had _ happened, she shook her head. It wasn’t a dream, unless she managed to strangle herself in her sleep but that was highly doubtful. Everything felt so real — the putrid smell, Dan’s cold touch, the burning pain in her wrist when he snapped the bone, the dreadful feeling in her gut when he wrapped his hands around her throat...

        “Definitely not a dream.” She concluded, feeling suddenly breathless as she pulled the collar of her jacket down to reveal the bruises lining the column of her throat, “Dreams don’t leave bruises.”

        “They can, actually.” She replied as she peered at the purple welted flesh on Nellie’s neck, poking at it slightly with the tips of her fingers, “There are things who can enter or even affect your dreams. One of those could probably use your dreams to hurt you. You could also be under a curse or something. I’ve read a lot about cursed dreams.”

        “What, just for fun?”

        “Sure, let’s go with that.”

        Nellie let out a breathless chuckle in complete amazement at Ava’s acquired interests, “Ava, I think I’m kind of in love with you.” She humoured, earning a snort of laughter from the usual dead-panned teenager that practically lit the room up even further. It was heartwarming in the most chaotic of ways.

         “I don’t blame you.” She remarked, corner of her lips quirking into a playful smirk, dark eyes flicking towards Nellie, “I’m pretty amazing.”

         “And humble too.” Nellie added, fighting to hold back a grin when she caught the faintest of red rising to her cheeks that she immediately hid, turning to distract herself by looking at her book, “Thanks, Ava. I really needed to talk to someone, but I didn’t think anyone would believe me.”

         “Hmm. Jury's still out on me believing you. You could be making all this up to screw with me.” Ava replied, shaking herself out of her flushed state and returning her emotionless gaze.

         “Do... people do that to you?”

         “They try, but my kung fu is strong.” She smugly added, mimicking the moves of a karate chop, causing Nellie to chuckle at her movements.

         “Well… thanks for listening without dismissing me.” Nellie said, expressing her gratitude with a small, grateful smile, “It helps a lot.”

         Ava’s uncharacteristic nature was wearing thin when she gave one last smile to the girl, contorting her lips into a toothy smile. Nellie watched as it slowly faded from her face as it returned to its usual cold stare, as if she was disgusted in herself for showing the smallest hint of emotional connection, and trying her hardest to avoid anything affectionate. “Cool. Glad to help. Okay, I think I’m done now.”

         “Uh, done with…”

         “Being nice.” She interjected, facial muscles still like concrete, “See, I’ve got this whole bitter misanthrope thing going on. If people see us being all friendly, they might think it’s okay to talk to me.”

          Nellie broke out into a broad grin exposing her pearly, but crooked, white teeth, a type of grin that doesn’t happen quite as often as she hoped but a grin nevertheless, “Can’t have that.”

         “I would literally die.” She murmured in exaggeration, voice lowered as she plucked at the edges of her page with a downward expression. Noticing her shift in attitude, Nellie took it as her queue to leave her alone and find somewhere else to sit for the remainder of the assembly. Bidding her goodbyes, she grabbed her backpack from her position on the bleachers and began to edge towards the stairs but paused when Ava called out to her.

         “Yeah?”

         “You’re not as a big of a tool as most people.” She complimented, face washed blank with a faint look of surprise that at least one person didn’t treat her like a freak of nature just because she liked the colour black.

         A small smile crept on Nellie’s face as she nodded in appreciation, “Coming from you, that means a lot.”

         “Yes it does.”

The conversation ended and Nellie continued to make her descent down the bleacher’s steps, just as the rest of the school filled out the remaining seats while Nellie joined in with the stragglers searching for one. It was mortifying being one of the few stuck finding an empty spot, wandering around like an idiot while everyone’s eyes seemed to study them as they struggle like a curious kid looking through a magnifying glass at a lonely ant. She couldn’t fight the burning red tinge on her cheeks that made her feel the more flushed and hot as her anxiety flared up under her skin like an irritant solution. Her eyes darted around for any place to squeeze into, feeling her world close in on her, feel their laughter, feel their stares — her throat closed up, her eyes watered until she was snapped out of it, dragged out of her stupor when her eyes miraculously fell on an empty seat hidden in the second row. She had to fight the urge to smile in relief that attempted to crawl on her face but her face went slack when her eyes landed on the person beside it, heart sinking at the sight of a familiar figure slouching against the seat.

         “Oh, crap.” She whispered when her eyes met with the tired ones of Noah Marshall. The one she avoided the most. His eyes were a dark brown — like burnt bark after a hellish wildfire and they search hers — for what she didn’t know, a question, an answer, a sign of familiarity. Everything came crashing down in that moment — all her attempts at keeping herself anonymous had seemed futile in this moment. They looked at each other for what felt like an eternity, an intense stare that left her legs unmoving, while his eyes refused to flit away. His face remained hard, no quirk of a smile, or the shift of a wave, just tired eyes, deeply searching for something. The staring became too much that Nellie quickly turned away from him, head whipping around desperately in search for another spot, any spot that didn’t involve with his presence.

Try as she might, it was hard to act normal when his eyes were burning a hole into her back, making her feel exposed to the world, exposed to his stare. She honest to god contemplated her next escape, to sneak out of the gym to avoid him altogether, avoid his detection, and she was just about to follow her plan but froze in her spot when the voice of Cody shouted from a few rows away from her, catching her off guard.

         “Hey, Nellie! Sit your stupid ass down, unless you want to watch from the garbage can!”

         “I…”

         “Hello? You’re blocking our view and there’s a spot right there!” Jocelyn shouted from beside him, her annoyingly shrill voice piercing into her pounding skull as she waved her hands obnoxiously towards the only spot available. 

Ironically, Nellie had trouble understanding why no one chose to sit beside Noah — especially if they’re so desperate to find a seat. She doubted he would react the same way Ava did — except Nellie had a reason to not want to sit beside him. Too many horrible memories, too much guilt eating at her insides, she wanted to avoid her problems all together, and to do that, she had to avoid  _ him _ . But from her knowledge, Noah never did anything to render his ability to make friends, and he wasn’t an unlikable guy, in fact he was quite friendly, just quiet and withdrawn. He might ditch school sometimes, not go to classes, and never participate in anything school related — which she was surprised he even showed up to the pep rally — but that never made it difficult to be friends with him.

Nellie turned slowly, face twisted into a grimace as her pride soiled beneath her. Her eyes fought to avoid his, biting at her tongue to the point she could taste the coppery metallic. He watched her strode up the steps with an unreadable expression with his head hung low, but his eyes showed the truth behind his mask, they always showed the truth. With his mouth contorted into a semi pout, his eyes watched her make her move as they cast a type of mourning gaze — mourning his little sister at the reminder of Nellie, and mourning their friendship. It’s subtle the way he was looking at her, no one would notice unless they were watching their every movement.

         But Nellie was not daring to look at him back, afraid she’d slip and fall if she managed to catch his solemn gaze, until she’s stood right in front of him, eyes finally falling on his figure. He sat their expectantly, shoulders slumped, legs stretched with his arms lazily resting in his lap. He peered up at her under the tendrils of his chestnut brown hair, as she stood there, swallowing her pride and forcing a reluctant smile at him, “Hey, Noah.” She greeted, voice coming out softer than she anticipated, “Do you mind if…?”

          She didn’t need to finish her sentence, he knew what she wanted, he knew she had to fight every cell in her body to stand in front of him. He  _ knew _ her, even after all these years. His soft brown eyes lazily gazed into hers, with that same mournful look, before flicking away, focusing on something else to distract himself from the cold, tight feeling in his chest, “Knock yourself out.”

Nellie anxiously chewed at the skin of her bottom lip, ignoring her heart thumping against her rib cage and the pulsing pound in her wrist. She watched in silence as he scooted over a bit for her to squeeze in beside him, and she gently shouldered off her backpack and placed it by her boots. She tried to keep her heart pumping at a regular rate but they were sitting close to each other — close enough that their shoulders and knees kept bumping against each other, and she could smell his woody fragrance mixed with the smallest hint of cigarette smoke. Nellie had to distract herself by fiddling with her hands, while the rest of her body erupted in tingles as if her body was preparing itself for a fight despite only innocently sitting next to a childhood friend. She was overreacting — she had to relax. 

From the corner of her eye, she caught his pale hands reaching up to adjust his dark blue beanie, allowing his lazily ruffled hair to spring free, brown tips haphazardly scattered around in utter chaos before he covered it back up with his beanie, fixing his hair back into place. He was cute, there was no way to deny that — in fact it was hard to believe he hadn’t managed to find a girlfriend, but maybe he just wasn’t interested.

The way she was reacting just by sitting beside him, the awkward tension and burning feeling her chest — it was quite hard to imagine they used to be best friends when they were younger — just like every other childhood friend they had — but Nellie and Noah had always been more. Maybe they were too young to understand the feeling of being in love, or maybe they didn’t exactly know what love _was_ , just copying their parents, and what the lovers in movies do, but as stupid kids, they thought that sharing their first kiss — the tiniest of chaste pecks on the lips that they immediately wiped away with a grimace and a disgusted groan — meant they had managed to prevent themselves from getting _cooties_ , and because of this they were destined to marry each other, just like their parents and the lovers in the movies did. Even going so far as to promising each other to marry each other when they were old enough. It wasn’t a romantic thing to them — in fact it was quite cheesy thinking back on it — but they wanted to marry with a lolly ring, just so she’d be a part of their family forever. It was Jane’s plan, after all. 

But just like everyone else, things between them changed, they grew up, matured and separated, but it didn’t exactly melt away any existing feelings she had for him. But instead of butterflies in her stomach, they were more like wasps, swarming around and pricking at her insides.

And if Nellie thought the tense air between her and Ava was unbearable, being around him was worse. It’s strange knowing that there was a time when there was never silence between them. They’d talk for hours about uninteresting things, ranging from slaying dragons, and what type of dinosaur they liked the most — now only silence lingered between them, filling the air with thick unease that made it difficult to breath in — the type of silence that made her fidget to distract herself from him, willing herself to stay calm until the assembly finished and they were granted their freedom, but Noah remained casual and normal — not an ounce of him showed how uncomfortable he was, even though deep inside, he was watching the minutes go by.

         Any attempt at a conversation between them seemed futile, but still, Nellie wanted to try. Releasing a pensive breath, she started her journey of reuniting, “So… what’s been up with you? We haven’t really talked since…”  _ She died.  _ She already ruined the conversation. But she wanted to say more to him, wanted to test her boundaries and apologise even though it wasn’t her fault — even though her death was nobody's fault, but she couldn’t even mention her name.  _ Jane. _ The name that haunted Noah like a ghost in the wind, the name that crept into every dream he had, the name to a girl he wished could still be alive. 

Nellie wanted to slap herself for even bringing her up, but she was surprised to hear the sharp intake of breath from the boy beside her, instead of a shout.

          “Yeah… I know.” He calmly said, voice barely above a whisper, soft and quiet as if he was straining from emotional exhaustion and didn’t want to fight anymore. He turned to her, nodding absentmindedly, shifting uncomfortably, but he avoided her sympathetic gaze with a soft sneer as he turned to focus his attention on the floor of the gym where the principal stood awaiting for the rest of the school to quiet down for announcements.

She was about to say more, but no one words seemed to escape her mouth. Without mentioning it, they both managed to inwardly agree to just sit in silence. Not every conversation had to be filled with words. Just because he was here didn’t mean she had to resort to a casual conversation. It wasn’t like the old times with the dragons and the dinosaurs.

Nellie’s icy blue eyes roamed over the waxy gym floor where many basketball games had been won and helped flourish the egos of many teenage boys, and many cheerleader’s had graced the world with their kicks and flips, and fallen and broke a bone. She watched on, eyes glazed and distant, and feet tapping impatiently as the principal introduced the student body president, allowing him to do the announcements with pride etched into their tone. 

She clicked her tongue, clenching her fists tightly until her nails bit into the soft skin, waiting for the assembly to be over but her attitude suddenly perked up at the arrival of a familiar face. Out from the crowd, came Lucas Thomas who she eyed in sudden interest as he strolled towards the podium with quick strides, back straight, and posture immaculate.

         “How you doing, Westchester High?” He beamed, shouting into the microphone with a pearly white-toothed grin. The school erupted in hoots and hollers at his arrival, hundreds of voices turning into a hum, mixed with the rumbling bleachers being stomped on by excited feet. Both Noah and Nellie stayed still, their celebrations held deeply inside of them as the rest of the student body loudly welcomed him, allowing the vibrations of their madly stomping feet to drain out the awkward tension between them.

         She caught sight of Lucas' appearance and she scoffed in astonishment. He had completely changed over the summer break, badly shaved hair now grown back and shaved at the sides, leaving dark longish hair on top, face smooth and clear from acne as if he had discovered the miracle of hair gel and skin care routines — he looked like a completely different person, and seemingly more popular, “Whoa. When did Lucas get so… hot?” She commented as her eyes trailed over his deep mahogany-brown skin, glistening under the bright gym lights, his dark slicked back hair, and the thick-rimmed glasses sitting snug on the bridge of his nose. 

         “Yeah, yeah. Everyone loves the tall guy with the cool hair.” Noah muttered under his breath, voice coming out raspy and hoarse. Without even realising himself, he briefly glanced down at Nellie's shorter form beside him who lightly released a chuckle as she continued to watch the boy wave to the student body like he was a big-time celebrity receiving an award.

She wasn't expecting to get a response from him — hell, she wouldn't be surprised if he ignored her the whole time, or left the building entirely, but with his response came butterflies, erupting in her belly, slowly destroying the remaining wasps that pricked and bit at her insides. And Noah, well, her laughter to his stupid joke made him feel warm. His heart had ached every time he saw her in the halls, beating himself up that he didn't have the guts to talk to her, to make amends, to try — but at the same time he's bitter that she didn't. She didn't make amends, and she didn't try either. It's all a mess, and now all his thoughts and feelings for her were returning in crushing waves after he swore he was over her, swore he even hated her at one point. But she's here, the girl that he had somewhat, kind of... liked a little too much. He clenched his teeth, closing his eyes, as the feeling of liking someone returned, the tingles, the blushing, and knowing it'd only be hell for the both of him — but mainly him. He wasn't in the best of places right now, his mind, that is. But when he glanced to the side, watching her chew her bottom lip, a sick part of him wanted to know how they felt. Were they soft? Were they chapped? He shook the thoughts away just as Lucas spoke into the microphone. He's stupid, he's so stupid and it hurts, _she_ hurts.

         “Welcome back, everyone! For anyone who doesn’t know me already, I’m Lucas Thomas, your student body president.” He announced, earning a few whoops and hollers from around him, “I know everyone’s a little salty that summer is over, but trust me, this is going to be one school year you’ll never forget. And on that note, let’s kick pep rally off, Westchester Wolf Style!”

As if his words were magic, several cheerleaders all brandished in their cheer uniform with the words ‘WOLVES’ patched over their chests, sprung into action, jumping up from the front row of bleachers, and waving their grey pom poms into the air as they bounce their way onto the gym floor with spouts of energy that reached the student’s who cheered along with them.

         “You can do better than that! Let’s hear it!” The only one Nellie could recognise — or cared about, really, was Stacy Green who shouted at the top of her lungs. Frame built strong and fit, muscles like a footballer and the poise of a princess, she was able to expertly execute flips and tricks as the captain of the cheer squad, proud and loved by all. She was still gorgeous, pink lips parted into a wide grin that reached her pale grey eyes lit with excitement and pride. Her dirty blonde curls were braided into a high ponytail that tickled the nape of her neck when she bounced, encouraging the students to make more noise. 

         “Looks like Stacy’s doing well too…” Nellie commented to Noah, eyes following her quick movements as she drifted across the court. Noah only bounced his leg absentmindedly, eyes watching the time crawl by, slowly getting closer to their dismissal.

         He cleared his throat, eyes flicking back to the cheerleaders, “Yeah, I guess.”

Seemingly ignoring his distant tone, her blue eyes followed the cheerleaders effortlessly tumble across the court, throwing themselves into the air with bright grins and landing gracefully on their feet like daring cats. They drew booming cheers from the lungs of each student as if they had injected adrenaline into their veins just by having a couple of cheerleaders execute tricks like circus acts. Nellie's eyes fell on Stacy who took centre stage, loving the attention she's getting — a complete far cry from Nellie's reaction to attention. As all eyes fell on her in anticipation of her next move, she plastered a grin on her face as she took a running start into an effortless round off before flipping into a backflip without breaking a single sweat — showing how easy it was for her, but practically rocket science to the rest of the students.

        “Whoa, that’s incredible!” Nellie exclaimed, watching in awe as she gracefully landed on her feet resulting with the cheers of students to grow thunderous.

        “Yay. Go team.” Noah flatly murmured, boredom swelling within him with the school's theatrics. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the dusty seat behind him — counting down the seconds until the dismissing bell rang throughout the school for their first period. With the amount of student's overpowering each other with their cheers, he's surprised his ear drums hadn't bursted from the sheer noise.

Nellie let out a cross between a snort and a giggle at Noah's reaction to her comment but she didn't take much notice to the way his mouth twitched in the slightest, lips fighting to hide the ghost of a smile appearing as she was far too distracted on watching Stacy's beaming expression as she looked at her cheer squad with pride but her smile was soon snuffed out when she locked eyes with Britney who glared at her from her spot on the bleachers. 

The glare was cold enough to suck out all her energy, made her wilt like a flower without sunshine, and just like that, Stacy's pride slipped away. Britney's glare was the only message she needed. Her smoky eyes drifted to the floor beneath her sneakers like a kicked dog, whimpering in betrayal, as she turned away from her smirking face. Stacy was visibly shaking, trying to remain calm and confident — not allowing the world to see her fall apart, she forced a smile on her face, but without a moment's notice, she tripped over her own two feet, sprawling to the gym floor with a sounding impact of her body weight hitting the wooden floor as she released a squeal. 

        "Stacy!" Nellie instinctively called out without a second thought, the instinct to protect overriding the instinct to stay put and avoid attention from students as they burst into fits of mocking laughter, echoing around her mind like the ringing of a doorbell in a cold, and empty house. She jumped to her feet and hurriedly bounded down the bleachers, and towards the basketball court where the embarrassed cheerleader remained, fighting to hold back the tears as the cruel laughter soaked into her being. Nellie's small hand reached out to grab a hold of her elbow, gently pulling her to her feet as the world spun around Stacy, with shame written on her face, "Are you okay? What happened?"

        Her face was completely flushed with embarrassment, heat radiating from her blushing cheeks as her lips quivered, fighting back the urge to burst into tears, "Nothing..." She whimpered, avoiding her eyes, "I'm just a klutz, I guess."

         "You think you're a klutz?" Nellie asked, shaking her head, "I don't see half of those people out here busting their asses day in and day out to do the tricks you can do. They're all pathetic." 

         Stacy couldn't bite back the smile that sneaked up on her face but her eyes shifted to the side, becoming glazed with tears, lips trembling and smile fading, "Right now I just feel like an embarrassment to the squad."

         From the bleachers, Jocelyn purposely cackled loudly enough for Stacy to hear over the combined laughter of the students ringing through the air, "Did you see that? She was all, like, WHAM,  _ aaaaah! _ "

         "Please tell me the school news nerds got that on camera." Cody added from beside Jocelyn with an equally loud cackle.

Stacy sent Nellie one last trembling smile, knuckling at the hot, salty tears dripping down her chin and she left, rejoining the rest of her squad, with slumped shoulders and face downcasted. It frustrated Nellie that none of Stacy’s friends came to her aid, all seemingly too ashamed to help their embarrassed friend and turn to joining in on the laughter — instead her childhood friend who she hadn't spoken to in a decade was the first one to step up and help her to her feet, console her, and bring back her spirit. She shot Britney a glare as she shuffled her way back to Noah who awaited her with his usual expressionless face, watching the commotion on the basketball court ease away once Stacy was out of sight, and was no longer the centre of attention. Nellie plopped down beside him without a word just as Britney hopped up out of her seat with a smug smile etched on her plump lips.

         Nellie scowled as Britney rolled back her loose shoulders, tossing her dark brown hair over her shoulders like a runway model, honey brown eyes narrowing at Stacy as she teased, "Check this out..." Stacy shook her head, watching on with a sneer hidden behind a false smile, gritted teeth, and clenched jaw, as Britney took three running steps, then flew into a no-handed cartwheel, body effortlessly landing on her two feet as the crowd roared in response. 

          Nellie only scowled, "Why do people like her so much? They've got to know how horrible she is." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with an annoyed frown contorting her face. She eyed the teenager as she bounced her way back into the sea of grey pom poms, greeted with hugs and cheers while Stacy sat off to the side, fresh tears leaking down her cheeks. 

         "And? She's hot and she can do flips. We can't compete with that." He mocked, voice filled with sarcasm, earning a snort and a curious smile from Nellie in response.

         "Wow, you're so right! You've clearly changed my entire outlook on the devil himself! Thank you so much, Noah." She retorted, beaming like the sun on a wintery day when Noah chuckled lightly, a sound that Nellie wouldn't mind hearing again. Something about the conversation they were sharing gave her a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest, eating away at the tense atmosphere that she thought was going to suffocate her. It's comforting knowing she and Noah still remained similar in personality and similar in humour, despite the abandonment, and avoidance. Maybe things hadn't changed  _ that _ much. He seemed to be less withdrawn — with her at least.

         Things had simmered down within the crowd, no longer laughing at Stacy’s misfortune’s or cheering Britney on, instead Lucas took back to his podium, grinning as Britney waltzed back to her original spot with the rest of the cheer squad, narcissistic and happy that she managed to downplay her cheer captain. “Well, now that the cheer squad is done totally blowing our minds… let’s give it up for the Westchester Wolves basketball team!”

The student body began to cheer loudly, whistling, hooting and hollering as a group of teenage boys in basketball jerseys form themselves in front of the bleachers, egotistical broad smiles as the student’s cheers sink into their pores — while a boy, Ben, howled from his position at the front of his team — the signature obnoxious cheer that’s both unoriginal for the name of the team, as well as cringe-worthy when the boys try to encourage the crowd to copy.

         “Yeah, go wolves!” Andy Kang cheered, yet another childhood friend that had changed — but more physically than personality wise over the years. His charismatic nature still remained along with his short temper and urge to prove himself to the world. A bright grin was beaming across his rounded face, slanted, dark brown eyes glistening with joy. His straightened short black hair bounced around as he jogged in place, breathing in the energy of the student’s cheering for his team.

He was shorter than the rest of the boys on the team with his toned, pale arms protruding out the sleeves of his jersey along with his black chest binder. Andy was a pre-op transgender, female-to-male with the wish to transition to be a boy, but lacked the funds to afford it, instead he cut his hair short, wore a chest binder, injects testosterone and wore typically masculine clothes to alleviate his dysphoria. He was fairly open about his identity, not an inch of him was ashamed, but with that being said, not many people share the same opinion, but thankfully for him, he was proud of himself that he managed to score a spot on the team. His straightened short black hair bounced around as he jogged in place, breathing in the energy of the student’s cheering for his team.

         Noah made a low sound of approval in the back of his throat, eyes falling on Andy’s athletic form and grin, "Huh, Andy actually made the team this year."

         “Good for him! Looks like he’s been working hard. Can’t wait to see him play!” Nellie responded, grinning happily as she watched him, though she flinched slightly when Cody’s booming voice broke through the applause to announce his obvious displeasure that he struggled to hold back.

          “Watch out, it’s the TRIPLE THREAT!” He called from his spot on the bleachers, laughing at his own insult that hits at Andy’s Asian heritage, his short stature and his transgender identity. His words stirred a hurricane of fury within Andy, shards jabbing at the inside of his heart with pointed edges — he snapped his head into the direction of Cody, hellfires of fury burning deep within, as he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, face twisting from satisfaction to an enraged panther.

          “Hey!” He spat out with a sneer that reached his eyes, voice rising above the minimal laughter hanging over them, “Why don’t you come down here and—” He was cut off by a boy pulling him backwards, not realising he was readying himself for a fight and taking the necessary steps towards the bleachers where Cody was waiting. Thankfully, Lucas drew everyone out of their amusing trance, watching the two boys bicker and back to the pep rally at hand, as he called the team captain, Ben, to the podium.

          “Thanks, Lucas.” Ben said with a polite nod sent in his direction, and Noah released a low groan when he started spewing another carbon copy of last year’s speech. “What’s up, Westchester High?” He called out, breathing in the chaotic energy of the crowd cheering back, boosting his ego by stomping their feet on the ground and whooping in response. “We've got our first game coming up in a couple of days, so you guys had better be here to watch us crush it!" He announced with a blooming smile on his face, "Not gonna lie, we've got a couple of rookies on the team this year, but I'm not gonna let that stop—"

In the midst of his speech, the bright light of the gymnasium began to flicker wildly above them — flickers that started off widely spaced apart that it seemed normal, until the spaces between the lights became shorter, as if a trouble making kid was flicking the switches up and down. Ben paused his speech, eyes darting around cautiously as silence erupted into the room until the murmuring of students replaced it.

          “Oh no…” Nellie gaped, the familiar flickering burrowing dread into the marrow of her bones. Her heart was pounding so fast, she worried people could see her pulse jumping in her neck.

          Suddenly, all the lights turned off at once, replacing the flickering lights with complete immersive darkness that blanketed them with a sheen of sweat on the backs of their necks, despite the coolness that seemed to come with it. Lucas’s voice called through the microphone and out of the speakers, drowning out the frightened and worried voices of the student body looking around questioningly as they offered nervous chatter to each other. “Everyone, stay seated! We don’t want anyone to fall from the—”

Before he could finish his attempt at soothing the crowd, a burst of loud static erupted from the speakers, loud enough to cause multiple students to flinch at the sudden intrusive noise and the microphone’s feedback squealed, sending a piercing noise in everyone’s skull. Nellie attempted to stand, every primal instinct in her body begged for her to run, to leave the school, but she stopped when Noah’s clammy hands gripped onto her forearm and yanked her back down.

          “Don’t move.”

She gulped, pulse quickening but she did as she was told. And with a loud **BANG** resonating throughout the gym, and bouncing off the walls, the floor flung open, smacking against the walls by a long gust of frigid wind that left Noah’s grip on her arms to become even tighter — as if he was trying to ground himself to reality by holding onto like she’s his lifeline.

          The lights flickered back on as if nothing had happened and Nellie was caught in the tractor beam of the fearful and worried eyes of Noah, still clutching on her arm like a scared child, “Noah, what are you—”

          “Shut up!” He pleaded, eyes wide and desperate, “Do you hear that?”

          “Hear what?”  He hushed her with an aggressive _“shhh”_ cupping his hand over her mouth before she could hear it. Heart beat pounding in her ear, a collective gasp from those around her, a faint sound that was barely at the edge of her perception, a sound that snatched all the breath from her lungs, made her heart freeze and her stomach churn. “No… not here…” She whimpered, looking around at all the faces of her former friends, their reactions mirroring her own.

Noah was looking back at her with wide eyes but his mouth pulled into a thin line, and nostrils flared. Ava was starstruck, sketchbook slipping from her hands to the floor and she was unmoving, paralysed to the spot. Lily was sobbing hysterically, tears creating black ringlets down her cheeks due to her makeup. Lucas was trying to remain calm but his grip on the podium was making his fist turn a ghostly white. Stacy’s chest was heaving up and down in quick drawls of breath, as if she was having a panic attack and Andy’s face paled, as if he was about to throw up.

The flickering lights shut off once again, power dying with a sputter and a hum and Noah’s harsh grip grabbed a hold of her as if he could sense her thoughts, quieting her down as she stared at him, — leaving a single voice, a whisper in the wind — a voice completely alien and out of this world, haunting but horribly familiar all the same. The telltale words of her childhood.

          “EVERYONE… PLAYS… TOGETHER.”

**...**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this chapter was so difficult to write, but here it is. I hate it lmao


	8. act two

 

 

i will always care  
i promise  
i promise

 

 

 

 **ACT 2.**  WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

**'I MET EVIL WHEN I WAS ONLY A CHILD'** **  
** ****

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

 

**//**

chapter five **— 005. DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS  
**chapter six **— 006. HIGH SCHOOL BLUES  
**chapter seven — **007. THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT  
**chapter eight  **— 008. REUNITED**

**//**

 


	9. five

**005\. DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS**  
 **(**  chapter five ** _!_      )**

  
. . .

_ WESTCHESTER, OREGON. _   
TEN YEARS AGO.

**SATURDAY.  
11:25 AM.**

 

**IN THE MONTH** of September, the bright luscious velvety green colours of Summer had began to fade and curl into the familiar sepia tone of Fall. The golden rust coloured leaves had tumbled from their homes on tree branches by the brisk wind, prompting them to sway with the breeze like colourful flags in the wind, until they fell from grace and land on the damp soil below from the early morning rain that swept across Westchester — leaving the woods in a lovely dew. With the rich aroma of earth flushed in by the calm breeze, the leaves were crunched under the dirty rubber boots of two little girls running along the overgrown trail as they followed each other deeper into the woods.

Jane Marshall and Nellie Griffin’s youthful spirits mixed well together in reckless delight as they lacked the care for their surroundings —  clean dresses now splattered with fresh dirt and grime, with birds stirring from their slumber and flying away at the sound of thumping shoes slapping against the damp earth as they climb hills and nearly tumble over tree roots. 

The best of friends found themselves in constant mischief, they had always been the closest out of the friend group. Sharing the same wild imagination and sharing their own individual perks. The girls leave the real world behind and replace it with the one they created — a world of wonder, joy, and endless happiness. A Utopian world where wild flowers grow in their wake, no school, no bullying, just love, friendship and magical powers. It wasn't the world they knew all too well; a world of yelling, fighting and the feeling of being unwelcomed in their own home. The girls weren't sisters, they weren't even from the same bloodline — but oh my, they were sisters in their own right, with separate parents that acted the same.

Parents that don't sleep in the same bed, parents that don't eat at the same table, parents that don't love anymore. It was an endless cycle of battles, asserting dominance, and forging their own war inside the four walls of a safe haven they should be able to call their own home — but instead the safe haven became the woods from the destructive storms that invaded their homes — where the two drifted off into the world they created, away from their family, away from their bullies. A world of their own accord. A world they paved their own path in — Queen Nellie, and Queen Jane where they ruled the lands with an iron fist.

But their world would come crashing back down to earth when the porch lights came back on and it was time to go home.

 

          “Jane, where are we going? Your mom’s gonna kill us if she finds out we went this way by ourselves.” Nellie called out into the wind, voice a child-like innocence — similar to her short brown hair tucked behind her little ears, framing around her worry etched cherubic face at the threat of an angry parent looming among them, because the deeper the children went into the woods, the more difficult it was to see that small patches of blue sky and sunlight struggling to filter in through the abundance of leaves sprouting from trees and canopying above them,

The air was cold, maybe not cold enough to chill her to the bone, but it was cold enough to nip at Nellie's exposed knees and the grazes plastered in _Hello Kitty_ band-aids as her light blue eyes glistened with combined fear and wonder — she only wished she could have brang her sweater like her mother ordered. Nellie had always been the braver one out of her friend group, even braver than Ava at some points — she's like the eye of the hurricane, the gentle, serene centre of a raging storm, — compassionate, and warm yet once that pasts or it moved just the slightest out of line, the ring of towering thunderstorms will surface. She was tough, protective, and acted bigger than her tiny body could provide, but her braveness was cut short at the threat of an angry parent.

It's why the girl's don't dare tell anyone of their secret world they created — they weren't even allowed in the woods.

          “I know… but you’ve gotta see it! Just a little further…” Jane bargained, not even once glancing at Nellie behind her as she was far too busy navigating her way through the woods with her light sun-kissed arms pushing overgrown brambles out of their path, and hopping over thick tree trumps that had been chopped recently for a fire. The beams of light weaved itself through her pale red hair that was borderline orange hanging loosely around her small shoulders as her blue floral dress whipped against her legs with each stride. 

Jane was a bright fireball with a tangled knot inside of her stomach that was built like a ticking bomb; light a match and set the bomb alight and she’d explode into a fit — but she was so very lovely in the end. She had the type of smile that was so bright you could see it like a blinking lighthouse in the middle of a sea storm — but although she had fight in her, she wasn’t as brave as Nellie, and would often find herself cowering behind the girl even if started the fight. Noah was her twin brother — and that was hard to imagine. While Jane was the happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine, whereas Noah was more on the serious, protective, brotherly side. He was born only twenty-eight minutes after her, but he acted more like an older sibling than she did — if twenty eight minutes meant anything.

Jane stopped in her tracks as her chocolatey brown eyes scanned her surroundings, hand reaching out to shade her eyes as her gaze trailed through the clearing until they land at the edge of it — and with a point of her finger and an excited nod in its direction, Nellie’s eyes fell on a crumbling stone building standing on the other side on its own, with overgrown vegetation sprouting among it. It looked like a house — a derelict house that stood there, menacingly staring at the two girls and almost beckoning them to come closer, like a hungry predator enticing its naive prey. With green moss covering the roof of the stone-layered ruins, and trees bending and wrapping around the building as if it was crawling into the house and sprouting outwards through the glass-less windows, like stretching shadowy arms — it was an neglected house, untouched by humans for a very long time and left for nature to retake what was once their land.

          “Whoa, what is this place?” Nellie questioned as the girls made their way over, eyes darting over towards the building that looked as though it was still standing despite itself, defying the effects of time and erosion and fighting against gravity.

          Jane shrugged nonchalantly, “Dunno… but watch this.” Nellie watched on as the girl crouched down to scoop up a pebble from the dirt beneath them — curling her small palm around it into a fist and wheeling her arm back before she tossed it at the house. The two watched in childlike fascination as the little pebble soared through the air and sailed straight over the threshold  — only to stop in mid-air in the doorway as if an invisible barrier was blocking it from entering.

          “No way…” Nellie gasped as coherent words failed to escape her lips — only a plume of warm breath billowed outwards, mixing in with the chilly air. Her wide eyes trailed over the pebble hanging in the air like an invisible hand was holding it but a few seconds later, it dropped to the ground with a resounding  _ ‘clunk!’ _ that echoed around her brain as she desperately tried to connect the dots. “That is so awesome! Let me try!” Her brain had cluttered into a short circuit — more interested in the strange happening rather than figuring out how it was possible. A small smile crept on her face as she knelt down and grabbed her own pebble, copying Jane’s movements, and just like before, she hurled it at the doorway and watched as it hung and dropped. “Cool. I wonder what’s inside.”

          Jane paused, stomach growing rigid and face sinking like a penny in a pond and for the first time since this adventure begun, her face was completely fallen, “Inside? W —we can’t go inside!” 

          Nellie’s eyebrows knitted together in protest, “How come? It’s not like anyone lives here anymore. Look, there’s holes in the roof.”

          Her eyes darted to the ground below her feet, desperately trying to hide just how fearful and apprehensive she felt at the notion of entering the ruins as if she could control the tremor in her voice or the subconscious shake in her body as she attempted to starve off her fear. She wanted to be strong, and brave like Nellie, but it was hard to when the ruins spread an eerie feeling throughout her chest — she had only wanted to show Nellie a cool trick, not _actually_ venture into the ruins. Noah had showed her far too many scary movies to know where that would lead to.  “What if you’re wrong? What if we get in trouble? What if something bad happens?”

          Nellie’s eyes shifted towards Jane’s gravity-drawn shoulders, watching as her once bright, and rosy cheeks were now pale, lower lip trembling and eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Hey… you got your birthday present with you?” Jane sniffled and wiped at the single hot tear that slipped out of her doe-brown eyes before reaching under the collar of her dress and pulling out an old, antique whistle hanging from a silver chain around her neck. “Good!” Nellie added, soft lips stretching into a warm smile that forged a dimpled groove in her cheek, “Remember what I said when I gave it to you?”

          “Th—that if I ever get scared, I should blow on the whistle, and you’ll come and protect me.” She answered, reciting the words Nellie had spoken to her on her eighth birthday. It had only been a couple of months ago but things had only gotten worse in the Marshall household. Her parents argued more, speaking more about divorce, but the memory of Nellie's gift was something she cherished.  She lifted the antique whistle to her lips and gently blew into the beak, listening to the high trill sound escaping the chamber — rising and falling as it echoed throughout the clearing.

A giggle rolled out of her stomach that felt more like an auditory hug than a sound as she released the whistle from her lips with a growing smile that Nellie returned. 

          “You’re my best friend, Jane. I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you.” She assured her with a gentle hug, but despite how courageous the seven year old was acting, even she felt a strange unpleasant feeling in the pits of her stomach — and when she glanced back at the ruins, her heart began race and the light hairs on her arms stood to attention. Everything was just so very quiet now, only the sounds of the swaying trees in the breeze could be heard and if she strained hard enough, she could faintly hear the sounds of the pebbles dropping to the ground again,  _ tap, tap, clunk, clunk.  _ Her feet shuffled in place, as if in a trance, itching to close the distance, but she turned to Jane, pulling herself away, “But… but if you’re scared, we can just go ho—”

          “I’m not scared!” Jane interrupted, voice cutting through the eerie silence that rang in Nellie’s ears, but even if she feigned her braveness, her apprehension was crystal clear, “Just… promise you’ll watch out for me?” She added, her voice now a slight whimper as she peered up at Nellie with those big, doe eyes.

          Such a big responsibility on little Nellie’s shoulders, but she’ll try. She always tried. “Promise. I’ll even go first.”

With that being said, she regretted mentioning it. She hated how stubborn Jane was, and how in the end it was always her doing whatever Jane wanted — she wanted to go into the ruins, but now it felt more like a chore or a deed that the queen had bestowed on the peasants. It didn't feel as fun as it did at first, now she was on edge, and with her heart thrumming wildly in her tightening chest and blood rushed in her eyes, she slowly edged herself through the matted forest-floor, dodging the dark muddy patches on soil, and tree roots stamping out of the ground — the wood's had become ominously silent as she made her way closer as if the wildlife and the plant-life had all sucked in a collective breath and were watching her intently because even her footfalls fell on deaf ears, or was that her heart? She could only hear her heart. 

She reached the entrance of the ruins that appeared more harrowing now she was at the columns holding up the building. Time had performed an irreversible deed on the building — she crept closer, reaching her hand out to feel the empty space of the doorway where the pebbles once hit, and the feeling that rushed up her arm was both foreign and shriek inducing as she stumbled backwards.

          “I—Is there something there? Does it hurt?” Jane worryingly questioned from behind her, voice small and meekly as she clenched the whistle in her hand. She was curious, always so very curious about the world, yet Nellie was the one to test the waters each time. 

          “It feels… tingly.” She concluded, reaching her hand through the doorway again, and twirling her small hand around in the darkness. It felt as though her hand had fallen asleep, with that familiar vibrating feeling erupting throughout her hand like a TV tuned to a dead channel — and it spread over her body entirely when she stepped over the threshold but it stopped when she entered the house completely.

Smiling to herself, Nellie continued to slowly edge herself into the darkness that fully immersed her like a fog, almost thick enough to touch and breath in — not a single sliver of light entered the building despite the lack of door behind her. The air felt frigid and cold, whispering across her exposed shoulders like a tide on a barren beach — but she wasn’t shivering because of the sudden drop in temperature, she was shivering because a sudden feeling in her gut forced its way in, a feeling that told her she wasn’t completely alone — as if someone or _something_ was in the room with her, watching her intently like an animal being studied in a cage or maybe it was her imagination supplying beasts with sharp claws and broad jaws to lurk in the corners of her vision. Her smile was immediately snuffed out.

Her icy blue eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly but surely, allowing her vision to see past the imaginary beasts and see more clearly at her surroundings — and she quickly found herself stood inside an old abandoned mining tunnel with a track running underneath her rubber boots.

          “H—Hello?” She tentatively called out into the dark, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted someone to call back or not. Who knew what or who was lurking among these dripping walls, who knew if they were friendly or not, who knew if it was even human, but she listened intently, eyes squinted, ears perked, as her words echoed strangely around the tunnel, bouncing off the walls, and reverberating back to her, but the voice that echoed back wasn’t her own.

          From the darkness came a noise no living being could conjure up — a hoarse whisper, a deep moan, an unsettling sound that resembled something completely alien, “...helLlloOOo…”

          “Is… someone there?” She called out again, voice trembling at the haunting sound that echoed back, but she was brave, “What’s your name?”

          “...nnaaammmeee?”

The leaves at Nellie’s feet began to blow aside by a gush of wind, tickling at her ankles when they shuffle away, to reveal a smooth patch of gray slated stone beneath, and as the little watched in muted horror, the word ‘REDFIELD’ messily scratched itself into existence without any source of a physical presence.

          “Redfield…” She quietly mumbled to herself as she tried to make sense of things, she repeated the word again with her face adorned with a look of pure bewilderment but that look quickly subsided when a giggle escaped her lips,  “Sounds cute! Like a teddy bear. Nice to meet you, Mr. Red, I’m Nellie.” 

          “...Nellie…” It repeated her name back to her in that same unsettling voice, as though she had screamed her sentence into the void, only for one world to bounce back. The girl squinted her eyes into the darkness in hopes of catching a glimpse of Mr. Red but all she saw was a staircase in the corner of the tunnel, disappearing into a jagged hole in the floor and the brave part of her wanted to go down there, to explore more of this strange tunnel, whilst the responsible part of her wanted her to run.

          “Nellie? Is it safe? Who are you talking to?” Jane called out from her position outside the ruins. Her body was a mere silhouette in Nellie’s vision, somehow the building was a lot more dark despite the opened door, but Nellie didn't look back — a dark shadow flickered in the corner but she didn't get a good enough glimpse.

          “Hang on a sec, I think there’s something—” But before she could finish her sentence, a surge of strong wind howled through the jagged hole in the floor — fast, harsh wind knocking Nellie off her feet upon impact and sending her crushing to the ground as if she weighed no less than a feather. She belted out a shocked scream as the strong wind began to reverse its direction, and instead sucked her towards the jagged hole. With all her strength, she let out grunts and cries as she desperately dug her fingers into a crack in the floor, fingernails ripping against the earth until she found a branch to cling onto.

          “Nellie?!”

          “Jane… RUN!” The girl wailed, eyes falling onto the young girl who immediately turned to run for help but the wind had snatched her off her feet immediately, driving her towards the ground. She let out a tearful scream, bellowing from her small lungs and ripping through her throat as she slid along the ground past Nellie as if some other worldly being was dragging her straight to hell by her ankles, as she caught pieces of rock in her tender skin along with cuts scraping against her body — she was barely hanging on to anything as she scrambled for purchase on the cracked uneven floor, little fingers clinging onto a nearby branch that was dug into the earth. “Jane!”

          The chain necklace around Jane’s neck broke with a hard snap, and the girl cried out as the whistle slid from around her neck and soured through the harsh wind, vanishing down the stairs into the hole in the floor. “Nellie, I c—can’t hold on! I’m slipping!” She hysterically sobbed, sharp knees digging into the earth, uncaring of the damp mud staining her dress. Nellie wanted to reach out to grab her, to instinctively comfort her because her screaming hysterical sobs were enough to drive all primal instinct into her being — but if she were to do so, she’d have to let go of the branch.

          She was running out of time, and she had to do something fast, so with only one idea remaining, she shouted at the top of her lungs,  “Stop it, Mr. Red! Stop it right now, or else… or else my friends are gonna come and burn your stupid house down!” 

As if her words were magic, the howling wind died down, and the dilapidated house fell still — the world around them erupted in a piercing silence that even the birds failed to let their presence known. Jane dropped to the ground with a  _ thump _ , her hysterical sobs quieting down to a hiccup from her position a little ways away from Nellie. It was eerily peaceful now, as if nothing had happened — it was the type of silence that gnawed at Nellie’s inside as she pushed herself up from the ground and ran over to Jane.

          “Jane, c’mon! Let’s get out of here.” She frantically demanded, leaning down to help her to her feet.

          “M—my whistle!” She cried, “It took my whistle…”

          “I know, but we’ve gotta go before it changes its mind and takes us too!” 

The two girls sprinted out of the ruins and back into the woods as fast as their legs could take them but once they reached the edge of the clearing, Nellie turned her head just one last time but the ruins sat still, just as it did earlier, waiting, still, beckoning them over — as if nothing happened. Quiet, and eerie, and just as derelict, showing no signs of life that Nellie had trouble figuring if what happened was real.

          “Nellie, come on!” 

          “Coming…” She trailed off, turning away from the ruins and hurrying after Jane who had already sprinted off. But behind her, as the ruins became covered by the trees, a soft whistle rose and fell with the wind as it echoed throughout the clearing.

**...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes this is terrible


	10. six

**006\. HIGH SCHOOL BLUES  
** **(**     chapter six **_!_ ** **)**

**...**

_ WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  _ __   
PRESENT DAY   
**MONDAY.  
2:36 PM**

 

**THROUGHOUT THE DAY,** the Westchester High students resumed in the same ordinary way it had routinely been  — even  after the pep rally incident that had shook Nellie to the core. No one seemed to be affected by the flickering lights, the slamming of doors and the blackout  — but maybe they hadn’t heard what Nellie heard. The students walked the crowded halls, joining their friends to chat excitedly to one another as they hurriedly trotted towards their classrooms for the period — like normal, lunch was served in the cafeteria that smelt oddly like bleach — to the point that whatever food you ate had the faint taste of bleach on your tastebuds. They hesitantly nibbled at the grey, washed out and overcooked food the lunch lady served with all the right amount of  _ vitamins _ in the form of mushy vegetables, chewy meat and dry pudding. Or at least that was what the sign said — the food more accurately resembled pig slop — but even pig slop seemed more appetizing. 

While everyone else seemed relatively normal in regards to the ordeal that happened in the gymnasium — Nellie wasn’t. Her mind was stuck in an inescapable rut — much like any other time when something out of the ordinary occurred — always thinking, always worrying. She was sent adrift with the sea of suffocating thoughts, twisting and turning — with the memory of Jane and Redfield resurfacing after she swore she tucked away, deep inside to collect dust. With everything that had happened in the mere span of six hours, beginning with Dan’s text messages, the ‘golem’ invading her dream, breaking her wrist, and leaving visible bruises on her neck for her to wake up with in the morning, and then,  _ him _ , showing up at the pep rally — it all seemed too much for her to process. She was far too distracted with trying to make sense of things that she hadn’t even touched her pen to study.

Is it wrong for her to be more concerned with an malevolent entity she swore she left behind the day she and her childhood friends made an oath at Jane’s funeral than to be concerned with her own academics? If Redfield was back, after an entire decade of radio silence — than there’s a chance that the evil being roaming the woods could put Westchester in danger, and if Dan, who she hadn’t seen in months, had been the ‘golem’ in her dream, than he could be at risk. They need to find him before he ended up like Jane Marshall. 

_ Jane. _

Oh god.

Nellie shook her head, pounding away the thoughts that failed to dislodge themselves from her brain with a swipe of her hands dragging down her elven face. The image of Jane’s morbid death flashed across her vision like a punch to the gut and she quickly had to wipe the slate clean like she had done so years prior otherside she’d be sent into a downward spiral. It wasn’t healthy to ignore her past traumas  — it wasn’t healthy to blame herself either, but it was better than to send herself into the psychiatric ward by bursting into tears, vomiting over the ground, and clawing at her skin  — much like she did when she was seven. Ten years later, she became a professional at beating the trauma down with a stick.

Mr. Cooper’s English classroom was filled with students fi nding themselves subconsciously organised by their social status — the cool popular kids sat in the back row, the geeky ones sat at the front, while every other student tried to score a seat next to the large glass paned windows overlooking the streets below from the second story building. Nellie just sat wherever she plopped down. 

The room was brightly painted in the same boring white shade as the hallway, ceiling holding an equally bright fluorescent light that blinded whoever walked in. While the walls were bare with only a clock and a whiteboard at the front of the classroom, Mr. Cooper was just as dull. With a grey sweater, salmon-coloured button up undershirt, black slacks, and thin-rimmed glasses — his attire made him seem strict, and somewhat harsh. However, the man was more undermining. He was witty, took students disobedience and turned it into a way of humiliating them through his belittling, sarcastic manner — but he cared, in his own authoritative way, and he definitely favored some more than others.

          “Now, if you’ll all turn to page 102 in your textbooks…” He instructed, with his own copy of the textbook in his copper-toned hand while the other held onto a black marker. He turned towards the whiteboard, dark eyes scanning the lines of the page behind his clear glasses as he wrote a series of sentences down with unreadable writing that resembled chicken scratch. 

Nellie’s seated on the edge of her plastic chair, tapping her pen anxiously against the page of her empty notebook, and bouncing her leg to starve off the excess adrenaline that still thrummed through her veins as she tried to at least focus on her teacher’s words. His usual somewhat enthusiastic voice seemed more like a buzzing drone in her ears as she leaned her chin on her hand. Her bordorm slowly intensified as her eyes trailed over his sweater now that his back was turned, and she quickly fished out her prohibited phone out of the pocket of her jeans, immediately typing in her passcode, and opening a group chat to text the group of teenagers she once called friends.

One by one, she added them all into the group, anxiously chewing on her bottom lip as she considered her message. She wasn’t sure if she was nervous of being potentially caught, or she was just nervous to text them, but the anxiety bubbling within her felt like it was hooked up to a cattle fence, sending electric jolts up and down her body until it almost became unbearably uncomfortable for her to sit still. It felt somewhat wrong, and foolish to text them, as if it’d make everything real if she did  — about Redfield, about Dan. 

If she just kept quiet, and ignored it, than it’d go away — it wouldn’t be real. But if Dan’s life was on the line, as well as the town she was raised in — than it needed to be said. She lost Jane, she wasn’t going to lose Dan, too.

If Nellie was standing right now, she’d be pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, but instead her heart only pounded with reckless abandon against her ribs as her shaking fingers tapped against the screen she hid under the desk from Mr. Cooper’s eyes.

 

**NEW GROUP CHAT TEXT**

**NELLIE** **  
** This is Nellie. We need to talk.   
_ read 2:42 PM _

**LILY** **  
** Hey Nellie   
_ read 2:45 PM _

**AVA** **  
** Yo   
_ read 2:45 PM _

**NOAH** **  
** Sup   
_ read 2:45 PM _

**STACY** **  
** Wth how did you get my number???   
_ read 2:46 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** Facespace   
_ read 2:46 PM _

**STACY** **  
** Wow creeper much   
_ read 2:46 PM _

**ANDY** **  
** Nellie what'd you want to talk about   
_ read 2:47 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** The pep rally   
(and don't pretend you don't know what I mean)   
_ read 2:47 PM _

**NOAH** **  
** When/where do you want to meet   
_ read 2:48 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** By the fountain   
After school   
_ read 2:48 PM _

**STACY** **  
** Can't, I've got practice until 6   
_ read 2:48 PM _

**ANDY** **  
** Same   
Meet after?   
_ read 2:48 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** Guys this is serious   
_ read 2:48 PM _

**ANDY** **  
** I can't just ditch we have a game coming up   
_ read 2:49 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** Fine. We meet at 6   
_ read 2:49 PM _

**NOAH** **  
** Kk    
Oh hey I think you forgot to add Lucas to this text   
_ read 2:49 PM _

**NELLIE** **  
** Crap, you're right. Hang on let m

 

          “What the hell —” She hissed out that soon faded into a grumble as her face flashed in irritation and disbelief. Her eyes watched as the screen of her phone suddenly snapped to black, followed by the low battery icon blinking mockingly up at her before she was able to finish her text. She had charged it a little prior to entering the classroom, enough to be able to use it for the last period of the day — but the battery was drained right down to zero, just like her energy had been. She tongued the roof of her mouth in annoyance knowing Mr. Cooper will take this as an opportunity to get his humiliation fix in. He spun around, and she was already preparing herself for his jeering taunts.

          “Nellie. Nice of you to volunteer. Since you’re so obviously paying attention, perhaps you’ll know the answer to my question…” He mocked, peering over his glasses as if he was superior to the teenager slightly scowling at the sudden confrontation. There was no doubt this was his favorite part of the day  — complete humiliation if you don’t adhere to his every demand. “When did the last witch trial take place in the United States?”

A hot blush seared her cheeks, and her fingers were crushed in the death grip of her other hand, as she stared at him, mouth hung open like a ventriloquist dummy. She hadn’t listened to a word he said throughout his lecture, but her brain tried its hardest to formulate a string of coherent words that would make sense  — only for them to come out as a mass of stutters and stammers while her classmates eagerly wait for her response, like predatory beasts, snickering. The teacher’s dark brown eyes stared her down expectantly, and if she looked close enough, she could see a sneer hidden behind his smirk.

From the front row, Lucas Thomas captured her attention with a slight wave. Her eyes darted towards him just as he opened his hands under his desk to reveal four digits written neatly across his palm.

          “—1878?” She answered, but it was more of an unsure question than anything, but it was good enough for Mr. Cooper to leave her alone, unknowing to Lucas giving her the answer. 

          “Well, you certainly kept us in suspense, Nellie… but you are correct.” He said, giving her a curt nod before continuing with his lecture, “1878. Think about that everyone. It’s not so very long ago. Just 75 years before The Crucible, which we’ll be reading this semester. In literature, as in life, the past is always creeping up just behind us—” Something about the metaphor Mr. Cooper had mentioned sent a chill up her spine — but the school bell rang signalling the end of school before she could think too hard about it, “—and so is the end of school. Class dismissed.”

Almost instantaneously, the students began to roughly shovel their belongings into their backpacks, crumpling up their homework in the process and shuffling out of the classroom in a burst of chaotic energy of the excitement to finally go home and rid themselves of school, although Nellie would be included in the excitement but instead she found her feet shuffling towards Lucas who was busy neatly packing his things away into his brown leather messenger bag  — a stark contrast to the rest of the students.

He had always been the smart, diligent one out of the friend group, always a little different than those around him  — he tended to live in his own head. While every other kid played with their toys or dirt, Lucas preferred to read, and that seemed to follow him into teenagehood.  It was like his body was a mere vessel taking him to interesting books to read and knowledgeable people to talk to instead of drinking, and partying, but oddly enough he was still very popular as the student body president. He had the personality of a dedicated leader and the potential to become a politic for a good cause  —  Lucas Thomas was the type of person that would change the world.

          “Mr. Thomas, a word?” Mr. Cooper said, deep voice strong and firm, and intimidating enough for Lucas to stand to attention like a soldier would for a general. 

          “Uh, yeah. Sure.” He replied, nervously running his hands through his closely chopped hair in quick successions, and scratching at the nape of his neck.

Nellie stopped in her tracks, adjusting the straps of her denim bag out of anxious habit as Mr. Cooper’s broad frame blocked her path like a guard. She suddenly felt unwelcomed, and out of place as if she was invading a personal conversation meant for their ears only. She didn’t know what Mr. Cooper wanted with Lucas  —  he had always been a good student, never once warranting a one-on-one confrontation, but she hoped it wasn’t because Mr. Cooper caught him sneaking her the answers to his earlier question. 

She quickly exited the classroom through the opened door before he noticed she was lingering about. She gently closed it behind her as she entered the crowded corridor where the students elevated voices mixed together into a concoction that was deafening to Nellie as she leaned against a nearby wall that was closest to an outlet to at least charge her phone to pass the time, even if it wasn’t going to do much for the battery. Over time, the hallway slowly thinned, and emptied as the students disappeared along with the noise — save for the few stragglers scurrying towards the main door — but gradually, Nellie became more and more aware of the muffled voices from inside the classroom.

          “... and I know what you’re doing…” The voice of Mr. Cooper was heard first through the wooden door, followed by Lucas fumbling for a response. 

          “… don’t know what you’re talking about…”

          “... may have everyone else fooled, but you can’t fool me…”

Noticing the accusatory tone the teacher was using towards Lucas, Nellie’s eyebrows knitted together, mixed in with a puzzled expression. Their voices were kept to a minimum  — to keep the peace with the students and to not allow a personal conversation become public gossip — but the quieter the coridor became, the more heated their conversation became, rising over the sacred silence.

She felt wrong for eavesdropping, but her curiosity always got the better of her, and she already felt her body moving closer towards the door before she could stop herself, despite the pang of guilt sitting on top of her chest like gasoline injected into her veins as she edged closer to the door and pressed her ear against it. 

          “ _ There _ you are…”

Her heart froze in her chest in a grip of a silent panic at the menacing voice only to burst into a hysteric that consumed every cell in her body when cold, clammy hands suddenly clasped over her eyes, ridding her of her vision and yanking her backwards from the door. Her adrenaline levels rose as she belted out a scream of pure terror, panic flooding her system at an alarming rate as the unknown person dragged her down the hall and away from the classroom, away from prying eyes.

She struggled wildly against her captor with a mass of grunts and growls, thrashing and kicking her legs around almost comically when she was void of sight. Her legs shot out in hopes of latching onto something that would yank her body out of his grip, but her feet slid across the linoleum floors instead, bottoms of her shoes squeaking mockingly at her.

          “Let me go!”  She wailed, using every fibre of her being to protect herself. All sorts of thoughts were rushing through her frantic mind. Was she being kidnapped? Was that ‘golem’ back and taking her to hell when he came from? “Let—” But she was cut off by a hand clamping over her mouth, fingers digging into her cheeks to stifle her screams but her screams of fear quickly changed into a ragged gasp of pain when she felt herself being shoved against the wall — and suddenly she could see — wild eyes and pupils dilated as she looked up to see her captor had been Cody all along, but before she could protest, he shoved her into a locker like she was merely a folded lawn chair, followed by a deafening slam of the metal door ringing throughout her ears and then… muffled laughter. 

          Jocelyn’s voice called be heard — and the oh, ever so distinct laugh she made as if she pulled the biggest joke of the century traumatising an unsuspecting girl who thought she was being abducted, “Oh my god, your face!”

Nellie could only imagine the expression on Jocelyn’s and Cody’s face  — self-satisfied, shit-eating grin that seemed to be glued to their face at all times. She let out a groan — a mix of anger, frustration and a sprinkle of being mortified added into the soaked pile of humiliation. The whole school was going to hear about this — of how poor Nellie Griffin overreacted to a ‘silly prank’ when in actuality, she had every right for her instincts to kick in — especially after last night and the pep rally. She pressed her sweaty forehead against the cool, bitter metal of the inside of the locker door to cool down her heated face.

          “Schools back in session, Nellie.” Cody added  and Nellie could practically hear the sneering grin in his voice.

          “Let me out, you freaks!” Nellie shouted, banging her fists against the door as hard as she could, but all it really did was make her ears ring.

          “Aww, but we wanted to make sure your school year started with a  _ bang! _ ” Jocelyn mocked, kicking her foot against the door to emphasise her claim, making Nellie yelp and block her ears at the sudden booming sound. No matter what insults or threats Nellie wanted to scream at them, how much she wanted to kick down this door and pounce on Jocelyn with the strength of a lioness taking down a zebra, she knew if she opened her mouth it would only add more fuel to the fire  — they want her to respond, but she wasn’t going to give them that satisfaction.

          “Get comfy in there, Nellie. We’ll check on you tomorrow morning.” Cody added, with a choked laugh followed by the both of them bidding their taunting goodbyes in the most cruelest of ways leaving Nellie to sulk in the discomfort of a cramped locker.

Are they seriously going to leave her in the locker all night? Wouldn’t the school’s janitor notice? Would anyone notice? Through the six thin slits in the locker, she glared at the thin frame of Jocelyn and the broad frame of Cody disappearing in a fit of laughter, voices receding the further they went. Her heart was pounding in her ears, thumping wildly against her chest, beating harder and faster as she desperately kicked and pushed at the door within the small, cramped space the locker provided, all the while, negative thoughts were rapidly firing in her brain like a machine guns bullets.

No matter how hard she pushed, shoved and kicked  — the door didn’t budge. Frustrated tears sprung to her eyes that she tried to keep at bay but with the faint stinging in the palm of her hands, and the anger boiling inside — tears just burst forth like water from a drain, dripping down her face, forcing her to appear like a small distressed child like she was at Jane's funeral — sobbing, red, snot-faced. She was exhausted, wearing herself out from her fighting, from her crying — god she felt so embarrassed. She slumped against the back wall in defeat, angrilly knuckling away a tear as she glared at the door as if the more she stared, she could telekinetically snap it off its hinges and grant her her freedom.

          “Nellie…” A faint voice echoed through the corridor.

          “What now? You guys think of some more fun ways to torture me?” Nellie spat, temper beginning to spark like a lit TNT.

          “More… fun…”

          “Get lost, Cody. I’m not scared of you!”

The words left her lips, the lit TNT had exploded and there was a rumble deep within the belly of the earth. It shook the whole locker, forcing it to tumble and rattle as if a freight train had passed. The world beneath her shattered, and moved and the noise reminded her of a loud clap of continuous thunder as if the town of Westchester was suddenly struck with an earthquake.

          The haunting shadows surrounded her in darkness, thickening like a fog  —  suffocating her, growing colder and colder like an ice cold grip around her body, and closing in faster and faster. Her breathing picked up, coming out in rapid gasps. Her lungs were burning as if she was drowning as the world around her spun and spun. Heart hammering in her chest like it belonged to the legs of a rabbit running from a hunter. She forced her eyes to close. Clenching her fists tightly as she whimpered; “I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I’m not scared!”

Everything seized, and when she opened her eyes  — she’s not in the locker. 

The world around her was all too familiar. The overgrown woods surrounding Westchester, the dark looming trees canopying overhead, the old crumbling ruins still standing — just as derelict as it was when she was a child — one strong wind could blow it down. But she wasn’t alone.

          “I’m not scared!” A child-like voice shouted from behind her and when she spun around to see the source of the sound, her legs almost buckled underneath her. Jane stood there, in the flesh, just as vivid and vibrant as the memories of her had manifested. Sun-kissed, freckles, small, blue dress, pale red hair.  There was a frown on her cherubian face, pursed pink lips. She stared up at Nellie with her hands balled into tiny fists. Behind her was the ruins looming quietly like a backdrop of twisty trees and mossy forest ground.

Everything seemed real. The sights, the smells. She could feel the bitter air brushing against her skin, could feel the tips of her brown hair sway with the direction the wind was blowing. Even the freckles on Jane’s cheeks were in the exact same spots she remembered — this can’t be a dream. Dreams couldn’t manifest vivid lifelike beings, pulled from her deepest memories — Nellie shouldn’t be able to feel the wind, nor smell the damp dirt, she shouldn't be here at all.

          “...Jane?” Nellie started, testing her name on the tip of her tongue like a foreign language, while her eyes darted around her face, searching for something, _anything_  — she wasn't sure what she was looking for. “Jane, we have to leave!” Nellie’s mouth began to move on its own accord but the words she wanted to say didn’t escape. She tried to reach for the younger girl, her slender fingers tried to pull her into an embrace, hold her, and beg for forgiveness for something she had no control over — but her body was frozen to the spot. Each move she made felt as though her feet were stuck in cement — she could feel the angry gaze of Jane burning through her, and the cold night beginning to creep over the woods, darkening the sky as she struggled against her invisible prison.

Jane’s gaze shifted into sadness  — Nellie could feel it still, wrenching her heart, and twisting her stomach. She wanted to hold her, tell her everything was okay — she didn't deserve to die, she was so young. But her heart plummented to the pits of her stomach. Peering up at the ruins, a deep, dark fog began to bleed out like a deep cut, draining out of the door and the windows, towards the young girl with its shadowy tendrils reaching out to grab at hold of her. 

All Nellie could do was watch — like she did that night.

She wanted to scream:  _She's mine! You stay away from her! It's not her time!_ As if she could cheat death, could change the course of reality by screaming at the shadows in the dark, could bring her back, could fix everything, make everything okay.

          “Promise you’ll watch out for me?” Jane asked, voice just as innocent and small as it had always been. Nellie’s nose started to sting and her throat felt tight, and at her words, she broke down, confessing all her grief in a flood. Even if this was just an hallucination or a dream sequence in a form of closure for Jane's death, or if it was something sinister —Nellie needed it. 

          “Jane, I —I didn’t know what would happen…” Nellie sobbed, voice at a higher pitch in an effort to squeak out the words. The dark tendrils reached out and grabbed a hold of the young girl like a torturous embrace and snatching her back into the ruins, back into the belly of the beast like lightning crashing in the night sky. Jane screamed out for her, echoing throughout the clearing as the darkness swallowed her whole, her scream bounced around her brain. T he shadowy tendrils bursted outwards from the building, barreling towards Nellie like a hurricane of black smoke howling with the wind at a speed she couldn't keep up with.

          “No! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorr —” 

The locker door sprung open forcing the teenager to tumble out of the darkness of her vision and into the bright corridor of reality. Her face was flushed with bloodshot eyes, blotchy red cheeks and tears running downwards towards her trembling chin. She gasped frantically for air as if she had finally broken through the surface after a gruelling fight against the waves she was losing in and scrambled away from the locker like it was molten laza, chest heaving up and down as she struggled to catch her breath. 

          Gradually, her breathing faltered  — _she’s okay_. It shifted its pace to normality — _she’s alive._ The tears slowed to a halt — _it wasn’t real._ She hadn’t even noticed the faint figure kneeling over her, she was too far away, and too close all at once. She wiped her blotchy red cheeks to rid her tears with the sleeve of her jacket as her eyes adjusted to the figure above her, appearing in her blurry vision like an angel sent from above until her eyes focused and she realised it was just Lucas’ concerned pinched expression, and usual neatly gelled hair now disheveled, and falling into his dark eyes. She shot him a wry, sheepish smile, and a satirical nod, “My hero.” 

          He chuckled slowly and warmly in response, “Sir Lucas, at your service.” He humored, helping her to her feet, and allowing her to lean on him until her legs stopped trembling like jelly. He had changed a lot over the years  — all the softness of a child, now replaced with the sharp edges and a chiseled jaw only puberty and growing up could do, shedding him of his baby fat and giving him dimples grooved into his cheeks instead. God, how embarrassing that their first conversation in a decade happened to be right after she had a panic attack and experienced a traumatic memory, not to mention being stuffed in a locker. She was just thankful he hadn't immediately started questioning her.

          “How’d you get that door open?” She asked instead, voice croaking, nose sniffling, hands clenched into fists around his grey sweater, only to slowly untangle themselves when she realised how tightly she was clinging onto him, like a baby would do to their mother. She wiped the tip of her pixie-shaped nose with the sleeve of her jacket, unconsciously attempting to make herself presentable. 

          He didn’t seem to mind her clinginess or at least he never made an effort to stop her, but he didn’t question her strange behavior either. “I’ve been telling the school for years that we need to replace these old lockers. Anyone can open them if they know the trick.” He coolly replied, “Guess it’s a good thing they never took my advice, huh?”

          “Yeah, lucky me.” Nellie mumbled,  watching as the boy glanced towards the watch on his boney wrist, and listening as he heaved a weary sigh that felt like it came deep from within. His exhaustion didn’t seem like it was sprung from lack of sleep — just tired in general, mentally and physically drained. “Late to something?” She inquired, noticing him shuffling in place, from one foot to the other as he watched the clock on his wrist tick by.

          “Just a lot to do, as always.” He finally replied, forcing a grin that didn’t quite reach the eyes. “Did you want to report this incident? I can bring you by the office if you like?”

          She let out a resigned sigh from her dry lips, and shook her head, “I doubt it’d do any good. But… there’s actually something else I need to talk to you about.”

          “Oh! Can we walk and talk?” I’ve got some things to take care of before I head out.” Lucas suggested with an apologetic smile though he breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded in response.

Side by side, the two began to walk off at a brisk pace through the dull corridors, Lucas seemingly walking a bit faster than Nellie, but slow enough for her to keep up with her short legs compared to his longer strides. They rounded the corner — the homecoming ceremony was coming up soon, reminding the students in a form of colourful posters plastered beside the basketball game reminders that she didn’t really care about  — but knowing Andy was a part of the team made her more than likely inclined to watch just to support him.

Nellie glanced down at the ground as they walked, mind focusing on the echo of their shoes slapping against the floor that would be even more satisfying had Nellie wore heels to school, which she wouldn't anyways. She watched as her dusty boots marched at a leisurely pace over the linoleum tiles compared to Lucas’ shiny pointed-toe leather shoes practically gliding with his long strides. His back was straight, shoulders pushed back, while her shoulders slumped just the slightest. They looked like they were from total different worlds just based on the way they walk and the shoes they wore.

          Eventually, Lucas gently nudged her side with his elbow, gesturing for her to begin with whatever she wanted to talk with him about to which she flinched at the sudden touch when she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings, she cleared her throat, “Well… I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the pep rally.”

She didn’t miss the subtle shift in his body language, how his footsteps stammered just the slightest, and how his eyes widened just a tad  — but it shifted back to normal quickly enough that she could of had imagined it the whole time.

          “Oh, the blackout? Don’t worry, I’ve already filed a maintenance report. Can’t have the lights going out during the basketball game.” His voice wavered, but he covered it up with a small smile.

          “And the voice?” She pressed, dubiously squinting her eyes at his defensiveness.

          “The… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He faltered, scratching at the nape of his neck as he avoided her eyes  — a tick she had quickly came to realise was his own coping mechanism when he was nervous. While hers was digging her nails into the palm of her head, or holding onto her fingers in a death grip, his was scratching his neck.

          “But —”

          “Sorry, one sec.” Before she could even get a word in, Lucas’ broad frame vanished into the auditorium, leaving her to stand out in the open, dumbfounded at his blatant avoidance. Why was he being so damn defensive? They all heard it and they all knew what it meant. Hell, even she wanted to ignore it, live a normal life by avoiding her childhood friends, shoving her trauma deep down into the pits  — but she knew it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

Not missing beat, she quickly followed after him, pushing open the heavy, red doors that led to the large auditorium, filled with a flood of red in a form of cushioned chairs set in rows, and a stage at the forefront, draped with thick red curtains pushed to the side to expose the band kids sitting on seats and fiddling with their preferred instruments.

          Lucas waved at them, gathering their attention, “Sounding great, guys! Just make sure you’re done in here by quarter to four, okay? Drama club needs time to set up.”

          Still not noticing her presence in the room, Nellie stormed up to him, frustration bubbling up to a burning point and it was evident of her expression as she grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around to face her, “Lucas, listen to me! Mr. Red is back!”

          His eyes were slightly enlarged, his palms were sweaty but he hid them behind his back, “Mr. Red… what, from when we were kids?” He replied, added in with a scoff of disbelief as if he was humouring a conspiracy theory and not something that gave them an abundance of emotional damage that still troubled them a decade later. His thick brows furrowed, deepening into the line of his glasses, “Nellie, come on. That was just some make-believe game that you and Jane made up.”

          Her glare could kill at this point. Her icy blue eyes were sharp and narrowed enough to make his blood run cold. “Lucas, do you really believe that?” He tried to move, but she pulled him back, “You saw what _I_ saw, you remember what _I_ remember, and you damn as shit heard what _I_ heard. We both know what happened and you can't tell me that it’s just some stupid game we made up.”

          He stared into her eyes as if trying to will away the memory that was beginning to resurface  — his mouth opened but words failed to escape, it opened and closed repeatedly, tempting her with words that she'll never hear. He looked even more rattled than she had ever seen him before — even more so when his phone began to buzz loudly, followed by an obnoxious ringtone causing him to violently flinch. He yanked the phone out the pocket of his slacks and snapped his eyes towards the number, “I, uh, I have to answer this. Excuse me.” And without another word, he slipped around her and out the fire exit door to the at back of the auditorium. 

Nellie grumbled in annoyance at how much Lucas was avoiding her.  Redfield was back and their lives were in danger now more than ever — their friend died because of him, their friendships were soiled because of him, and now Dan was potentially in a world of pain  _ because of him _ — and he didn’t seem to care. They’ve all tried to forget about what happened — it was traumatic, the memories still remained after years of trying to avoid thinking about it, while others took to therapy, but they’ve tried hard to avoid thinking about it — but it _ happened _ . And they can’t avoid it anymore — not when Redfield was back in the picture. She understood he was busy being the Class President, but an evil entity haunting them from their childhood and a potentially dead friend was a bit more important. 

          By the time Nellie reached Lucas, he was already near the water fountain at the front of the school, talking into a phone, and pacing back and forth as if he was burning off the steam that had consumed him throughout the school day — his raven hair was even more disheveled, hands being devoured by his locks as he continued to run his hands through it.  “Yes, mama, I know college prep is tonight, but we talked about this…”  _ Silence. _ “Because I have to meet with the homecoming and yearbook committees after school, and I can’t be in three places at once!”  _ Silence.  _ “I know, mama, I know. Yeah, love you too, bye.”

         She pursed her cherry red lips and stepped closer, slowly in a way that wouldn’t compel him to start storming off again to avoid her again. She chewed on her bottom lip as he shoved his phone into his pocket, and rubbed at his eyes with the tips of fingers. “You really are busy.” She said with an empathetic frown adorning her pale elfin face, finally revealing her presence to the boy who looked up upon hearing her voice, “Having to run errands around the school, take care of our grades as well as making sure you’re home for dinner. You know, if you would slow down for a second —”

          “Pretty sure the school would literally collapse.” He retorted with an aborted sigh, glancing away from the girl as he sat down on the ledge of the water fountain, shoving his face into his hands, he tried to breath in slowly, and release it, tried to calm himself down  — but his phone buzzed again and he had to fight himself to not scream in frustration and anguish, had to stop himself from chucking his phone across the school yard to rid himself of the burden. He pulled the phone from his pocket, and his eyes trailed over the screen with another sigh. “Great. Now the school paper says they need an interview… tomorrow?” He gaped, eyes bulging from its sockets. His words became faster and jumbled together, growing louder with each second passing as he paced back and forth, stress practically oozing from his pores, “How am I supposed to get ready for an interview by tomorrow?! I can’t handle this right now!”

          She stepped closer, sensing he was beginning to fall into a downward spiral  — she gently rested her hands onto his shoulders, “Lucas, it’s okay. It’s just one interview—”

          “But it’s not just the interview! It’s the interview, and college prep, and homecoming committee and yearbook, and —” He visibly stiffened, squeezing his eyes shut. Nellie caught the worry lines etched into his forehead — she watched as they stayed there even as he tried to smile through it all. Seemingly, he struggled hard to keep his breathing quiet but it came out sharp and ragged anyways, she could practically see his heart racing in the pulse point of his throat — but finally he slumped, shoulders drooping, arms falling to his side, head lolling downwards — all energy sapped out of him in a moment. He refused to look at her, “Sorry. Just forget it. I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.”

His entire bravado, his confidence, his scheme into tricking people into thinking he’s on top of the world  — happy, strong, relaxed, not having constant panic attacks —  his true self was through the cracks, and yet he apologised to her for not being okay  — like it was his fault for not playing along to his own storyline. He’s not okay — and it’s okay. She wanted to reach out to him, pull him into a much needed hug but she didn’t want to overstep her boundaries.

          “I might have an idea about the interview, actually… maybe it’d be less stressful if I helped you prepare? We could grab a coffee down the street, and I could throw you some softball questions.” She suggested with a loose, nonchalant shrug — trying to appear casual even though she could feel his anxiety breathing dense air like a second skin. “I’ve been meaning to catch up with you anyway. It’s a perfect excuse for me to ask all kinds of nosy stuff.”

          His dark eyes lit up, worry lines disappeared and a little grin fought to make itself known. “Th —that would be great! You’d really do that?”

          “Let’s do it!” She grinned, finding his own beaming expression infectious, “But you have to promise to hear me out for five minutes when we’re done.”

          “Deal.”

**...**


	11. seven

**007\. THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT  
** **(**    chapter seven ** _!_      )**

**...**

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   
**MONDAY.** **  
** **3:50 PM**

 

**THE GOLDEN RAYS** of the afternoon sunshine lightly kissed Nellie’s ivory skin, painting her earthy brown hair darker and her icy blue eyes brighter as it filtered itself through the large windows of the tiny and quaint cafe. The cafe, ‘ _ Gloria’s’ _ , sat huddled in the crevices of the larger town buildings of the warm-toned apartments, and the shopping mall  — completely overshadowed by the size difference. However, despite its size, the cafe was inviting and welcoming enough to gravitate anyone towards it with the softly emitting jazz music pouring out of the open doors along with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee licking at the warm, cheery atmosphere that the townspeople were drawn to. The cafe was small, but it was cozy, and soothing — especially after a big day, with its walls painted in a comforting lilac gray filled with a menu showcasing the delicious selections of food and drinks and storage shelves with clean mugs, and an assortment of ingredients.

_ ‘Gloria’s’,  _ was a family run business — first founded by a little old lady with big dreams and a determined mindset to boot, who had passed down the ‘ _ Gloria’s’ _ legacy through the generations of her children. What had started as a tiny flame of wishful thinking had soon flickered into reality for her. The successful cafe had been around since the dawn of Westchester’s existence, a durable, eternal historical monument of the town although had been remodeled and renovated to fit the times. Nellie's  parents used to bring her to  _ ‘Gloria’s’  _ when she was a little girl, where they’d sit and play cards, Nellie would sip at her hot chocolate, her father would drink straight, black coffee that left a bitter taste on her tongue whenever he offered her a try, and her mother would melt at the sweet taste of her earl gray tea — but the times had changed since then. She’d be lucky to get a simple ‘good morning’ from them. 

Shaking herself out of her depressing stupor, Nellie wrapped her slender fingers around the sparkling white china mug, filled with an overpriced latte sitting prettily and still with a leaf pattern carefully crafted with milky foam among the pale brown. The first taste of the freshly brewed beverage crept over her taste-buds and slid down her throat — it made her toes curl in her boots and her eyes to close as she relished in the warm frothy liquid spreading throughout her entire body, causing her to sink into the cushioned chairs with a triumphant smile on her plump lips.

On any other day, she’d always find herself curled up in the corner on one of the bean bag chairs, humming along to the lowly playing music in the background and trying to starve off the temptation of buying a chocolate muffin  — in one hand she’ll have her latte and in the other hand she’d be reading a book she was currently interested in, one she borrowed from the nearby library. But instead of being alone on this warm day, on the opposite side of the table, sitting on his own cushioned chair, was Lucas Thomas.

Lucas Thomas. A student she wouldn’t have expected would be willingly sitting with her. It was melancholic how a traumatic memory of Redfield had brung them all together again  — she would have liked their reunion of sorts to be in a better circumstance, willingly meeting at a charming spot for them to talk about the decade a part — but she doubted it would had ever happened. Her friends were far to prideful or perhaps just too traumatised to start. But the reappearance of Redfield after a decade had seemed to kick them into gear instead of waiting for the right moment. In front of her, Lucas' dark eyes were scanning over the lines of his own notebook, written in neat handwriting, his smooth brown fingers tapped against the rim of his own beverage choice, a cappuccino, while the other hand fiddled with a pen, twirling it within his fingers like a drummer would to his drumstick.

Nellie had far too many questions she wanted to unleash upon the unexpecting boy like a barrage of bullets  — all of which didn’t involve the interview he had been stressing over. Her overworking brain was relentless these past few hours, beginning with the dream and ending with Redfield’s shocking return  — she had always been an overthinker but she was going to have to be if she wanted to figure out what Redfield’s real motives were. While Lucas was happy to ignore it, she wasn't. Not anymore. Redfield couldn’t come back and be the angelic entity they once thought before, because Redfield was nothing but sinister, a wolf in sheeps clothing who enticed his prey. But she promised to help Lucas with his interview and if she needed his help in the long run, she’ll have to clean up the stress spreading through her mind like ink on paper.

Nellie let out a slow controlled breath and attempted to loosen her body movements with another sip of her latte  — she gave her shoulders a wiggle, and lolled her head to the side, taking another deep breath before she grabbed her notebook out of her backpack, followed with a pen and placed it back on the table between them. Clearing her throat, the girl placed her enclosed hands on top of the table and put on her best ace reporter impression as she reached out for the book and pen.

          Smiling, Nellie began with a strange, posh voice, “Hello, Mr. Thomas, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Nellie Griffin, with the  _ Westchester Word _ . Thanks for sitting down with me and can I just say, sir, what an honour it is to interview the Class President.” She continued, pressing her hand against her heart for extra measure of her feign sincerity.

Upon hearing her impression of a news reporter, Lucas lips flicked upwards in a little smile that grooved a dimple into his cheeks, his perfectly aligned teeth on show, that soon turned into a snort of laughter. It’s good to know that Nellie still kept her charming spirit after all those years of silence between the group — it’s good to know she hadn’t lost it, unlike Noah. Although he had more of a reason to be disturbed by the passing of his twin sister. Connected through birth, and disconnected by death. 

          Although he had been charmed by her wit, Lucas felt flustered and shy all of a sudden. For a boy who was confident enough to saunter on stage every day  — from the way he held himself, to the way he could speak in front of a hundred or so students, he became quickly sheepish when being spoken to one-on-one by Nellie, adorned with a blooming red spreading  against his bronze complexion as he tried to hide the fact that he’s embarrassed despite nobody paying attention to their uninteresting conversation, “Oh, gosh. Uh, my pleasure. I’m a… big fan of your work, I guess?”

          She almost broke out of character at the sight of his blood-rushed cheeks, where his hands were pressed against to hide it but she quickly regained herself, “Aw, thanks! So, let’s start with an easy question, to help our readers get to know you better,” She suggested, tapping her pen against the notebook as if she was reading off a list of questions, “Tell us about your aspirations. I understand you’re looking at colleges right now. What do you plan to major in?

          “Well, my mom wants me to become a doctor, like her. And my dad wants me to become a psychologist, like him.” He answered, pressing his lips together with a casual shrug.

          She nodded along to his words, jotting down his answer before her light blue eyes flickered back to his, “And what do  _ you _ want, Mr. Thomas?”

          Lucas paused at her question like a computer being sent an unreadable task, his dark eyes blinked repeatedly, mouth opening and closing as he was taken aback by the question until finally, his eyes landed on her expectant gaze with a certainty hidden in between, “Honestly? I want to go into politics.”

It was clear Lucas had given his future career choice a lot of thought, much couldn’t be said for Nellie though.  She didn’t exactly want to be like her parents, stuck in a dead-end job with no vacations, no holidays — just to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomach. She didn’t want to sit behind a computer screen, typing up reports day-in and day-out and having no freedom to live, or to maybe even start a family of her own — but even that thought frightened her, she didn’t want to have a child if she was going to be working for their entire life. But it’s nice to see at least one of her childhood friends had their head screwed on straight, by knowing what his future plans were. Lucas was undeniably certain, soft brown eyes hardening into pure determination, he knew exactly what he wanted — Nellie, however, was still unsure of her own future. She didn’t think she was ever going to make it this fair, always having the background thought that she’d somehow die before she’d grow up. But her future was nearing, and she’s still alive, and now it’s beginning to weigh on her.

          Shaking the thoughts away, her face gave up on her sudden melancholy thoughts breathing in the stretching girlish grin as she returned to her usual cheeky self, “Oooh. Should I get ready to vote for ‘Senator Lucas Thomas’?”

          “God no.” He chuckled warmly, “This is gonna sound super nerdy, but I want to work more in the background. Like writing legislation and stuff. Specifically, I’m interested in how the public policy can help protect the watersheds in national parks from natural gas drilling.” 

          Nellie broke out into a soft grin as she fiddled with the pen, jotting down his words, “Wow, that  _ is  _ super nerdy. But good answer.” She quipped, pointing at him with the tip of her pen.

          He shyly shrugged, hiding his blushing cheeks in the collars of his grey knitted sweater, “Thanks.”

          “Let’s talk about the school year ahead. What are you looking forward to the most?”

          “Ooh, good question.” He drawled, beginning to chew on his bottom lip as he thought of his answer, “I’d say this year what I’m mostly looking forward to is homecoming.”

          “Really? That’s surprising.” She replied, pen jotting down his answer as if it was the biggest discovery in the world, as she took another sip of her latte that was beginning to cool.

          “This is the first year the student council has an actual budget, so we can afford to hire a decent DJ.”

           Nellie jutted out her bottom lip, impressed with the school actually attempting to give the students a fun night instead of relying on the radio replaying the same songs repeatedly. “Wow. So a school dance is actually gonna be cool for once?”

          He grinned again, nodding along with her words, “That’s the hope.”

Maybe she’ll actually show up for homecoming this year. She usually steered clear of the school events and activities, not because she found herself ‘too cool’ for such things  — but she never really had any friends to go with in the first place. Sure she had ‘friends’, but they weren’t the type of people she’d actively want to hang out with outside of school. They were strictly classroom friends — and well, if anything, she would prefer going with her childhood friends if given the chance. It may be awkward, and strange for the lot of them but after all these years their bond still seemed to be strong enough to fight through it. Ava seemed aloof at first but ended up talking to her, Lily had always continued to be nice to Nellie, she helped Stacy after her accident, sat with Noah and actually made jokes with him like old times, and now she’s helping Lucas with his interview — she’s yet to talk to Andy and Dan, however. But, if the school was actually putting an effort into making the dance fun this year, instead of the same boring themes, and the students sitting on the bleachers doing nothing the entire time, than maybe she might attend.

          “Well, since we’re on the subject… let’s talk about the event on everyone’s mind… this year’s homecoming. How is planning going?” She went on to ask as she twirled her finger around the rim of the mug.

          “Thankfully, I have no idea.”

          Nellie frowned at his answer, shaking her head in confusion, “Aren’t you on the homecoming committee?”

          “Yeah, but once the actual planning starts, the cheerleaders tend to take over. Which I am a —okay with.” He responded with a grin, throwing up a dorky thumbs up at the idea of one less stressful responsibility for him.

          With one last nod, Nellie clicked the end of her pen with her thumb and placed the notebook down on the table between them to reveal only scribbles of flowers, smiley faces, and dogs instead of Lucas’ actual answers leading him to chuckle  — although he couldn’t say he was surprised. “Well, I think that’s just about everything I need for the interview. Look for it on the stands tomorrow.” She added with a cheeky wink.

 

The two of them erupted into a fit of gentle giggles rolling out of them like waves on the beach, joining in with the scent of warm, chocolate muffins and coffee — softening the room along with it, before slumping back against their chairs, returning to the usual small smiles staining their lips. It was quiet for a moment, a welcoming silence falling between them as their bones soak in the joyful air. This was nice  — it really helped made her forget, to just enjoy each others company instead of listening to the flurry of racing thoughts within her brain that threatened to be seen. Stress had been radiating from Lucas’, and now he looked at ease, all the worry lines that seemed to be etched in stone had disappeared. A weight had been lifted — all worry left in a flash. But Nellie knew it’d only be a matter of time, until she’ll have to let the Redfield conversation slip and ruin his mood and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to bring it up or not just to savour their good moods.

          “Thanks, Nellie. That helped a lot.” Lucas said, soft chocolate eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled, lighting up the room just the slightest.

          “Anytime, Lucas. I’m really glad I could help.” It’s now or never. She promised to help him, and he promised to listen to what she had to say. “Now… there’s something else I needed to talk to you about.”

          His mood suddenly plummeted as she expected. His shoulders slumped, and his gaze casted to the floor beneath him, where his waxy black shoes tapped anxiously in place. He cleared his throat, focusing his attention on the wooden floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, “Oh… you mean what happened at the pep rally.”

          “Yeah.” She breathed out, eyebrows knitted together as she searched his face for an answer, “So you heard them, then? The whispers? The  _ voice? _ ” She pressed, placing her elbows on the table and leaning in closer towards him.

          He released a dejected sigh, uncomfortably scratching at his arms as his eyes dart around the cafe to avoid looking at Nellie’s expectant gaze. Somehow, the calming aroma of a cafe didn’t protect him from spiralling, and the softly playing jazz music was deafening in his eyes as his heart thumped wildly within his chest. His eyes were glazed over with unshed tears, but he quickly blinked them away before Nellie could see, “I mean, look, I don’t need it getting around that the class president hears voices, okay? But hypothetically, suppose I did. What then?”

          He tried to hide his tears through the collar of sweater, pulling it up lightly to wipe at the escaping tear drops as he tried to avoid her concerned pinched expression. “Well, hypothetically, a bunch of us are meeting by the fountain to talk about it. Six PM. So… you in? Or are you too busy?”

          It took him a moment to reply as he thought it was over in his head, but eventually, he realised he had no other choice. They’re all in this together — so he nodded. “I’m in. I owe you at least that much for helping me with the interview.”

          Nellie sent him a warm smile, “Great. See you then?”

          “Yeah…” He trailed off, “See you then.”

**...**


	12. eight

**008\. REUNITED  
** **(** chapter eight ** _!_     )**

**...**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **_  
_ **MONDAY. 5:57 PM** **

 

**THE LAST OF** the days golden sun-rays kissed the town of Westchester, casting the town in a welcoming ember glow as the setting sun sunk low behind the trees — subduing the earthy greens into black silhouettes against the line of the sunburnt road, and revealing a sky of fire in its wake. The remaining light of day that gave birth to the blues skies and fluffy clouds had slowly drained, melting the bright colours into muted purples and oranges painted in strokes by an invisible hand with blushing clouds and the appearance of the first evening star.

Along with the setting sun, the cool air replacing the heat of the day, and the soft lull of a quiet dusky evening, the intensity of the townspeople of an afternoon had been sedated, only now being replaced by the buzzing insects as they zipped around the pools of light escaping the lampposts that sprouted along the still avenue like roses from the damp soil.

In the duration of Nellie and Lucas’ interview assistance, and the talk of Redfield  — the hours seemed to bleed together; three hours had slipped by right before her eyes, and she hadn’t expected just how quickly the time would pass until she found herself wandering the grounds of the school yard, finding herself in the football field watching the school’s team train under the cool breeze instead of the lick of heat. Nellie had stuck around at  _ ‘Gloria’s’ _ cafe a little longer after Lucas left with a parted goodbye, and an awkward wave of sorts as they danced around the implication of whether or not they were entitled to a goodbye hug, a handshake or other means of a farewell. 

Nevertheless, Nellie didn’t particularly fancy the idea of walking all the way back to her house, deeper into the remote part of town, just to walk back to school to have a conversation with her old friends. To pass the time, the teenager spent the remainder of the day at the dusty library, even so much as piling a bunch of interesting books into her denim bag after borrowing them, but as the minutes softly ticked by, as did her budding anxiety.

It’s one thing to reunite with old friends after a decade of silence — the friends she shared fond memories with, the friends who knew her secrets, what’s she’s scared of most, what she loved, who she missed, who she lost — but it’s another thing when she realised the only thing that had forced them to reunite wasn’t an act of blind kindness, or the fact that they missed each other in the most innocent of ways — but it’s the disheartening fact that the only way or reason they decided to talk again was because of a death of a friend — the return of Redfield, the reemergence of a traumatic event. 

It hurt, really. But Nellie only had herself to blame, because while everyone else hadn’t tried to reunite with them,  she hadn’t tried either, but how could she? How could she look into the eyes of the seven teenagers she once called her best friends, the ones she had avoided for years, the ones who’s light had faded the day that fateful death occurred; without seeing the innocence, the childlike wonder and awe for the world they once had being sucked out of them? How could she look at them without the memory of Jane’s disturbing death resurfacing in her mind once more? She couldn’t. 

Having the group of them together again felt overwhelming — she didn’t understand the emotions that were bustling within her like a busy street. On one hand, she’s excited, she’s beaming with the idea of once again sharing the same bond they once had, but on the other hand, she’s terribly afraid. 

She wasn’t sure if she was ready for the tragic memories, or the damage it had caused, but as she sat on the bleachers at the field’s, the time ticked by quicker — and soon enough the phone in her back pocket was buzzing to life with a text message from Lily Ortiz, alerting her arrival. With a long sigh, she stood from her position on the slightly damp seats from the evening condensation, and quickly made her way to the meeting spot at the fountains where she found the familiar figures of Noah, Lily and Lucas awaiting for her in silence.

Noah was seated on the edge of the fountain, one hand shoved into the pocket of his dark, ripped jeans, hugging his lean legs that bounced in place absentmindedly, while the other hand toyed with a simple red lighter, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger as he stared at the asphalt. Lily sat beside him, though miles apart as she nervously fiddled with a stray curl that fell out of its pristine hold to distract herself from the harrowing affect this reuniting had caused, and Lucas stood a little ways away, waxy leather shoes shuffling against the cement, and a fingertip in his mouth as he worried the skin between his teeth as if fighting off excess adrenaline.

Soon after the three arrived, Andy and Stacy made their presence known; Stacy, seemingly more interested in her expensive phone, busily tapping away at the screen, manicured fingernails gliding over the keyboard with the volume at an all time high. The sound itched at Noah who tried his hardest to remain stone-cold, though he could feel himself beginning to squirm and crack under the irritating sound. Andy found his own little spot to stick to, closer to Lucas, yet further away from Lily, as he shivered against the cool brisk air that ruffled his mop of black locks, whilst he wrapped his jumper covered arms tighter around his frame.

Even as Nellie hesitantly inched her way over, she’s acutely aware of the brittle tension between the five of them, like a worried family in the cold waiting room of a hospital, praying for the safety of another member — they were silent, no whispers fell from their lips, no rustling of their clothes, no one dared to disturb the silence as if they were worried they’d ruin the peace just by breathing too loud, and although Nellie hadn’t really had the opportunity to be with them for years, it’s quite humbling knowing they still shared the same tics as they did when they were kids. It’s nice to know things never truly change. 

However, at the sound of her approaching footsteps, the silence had been shattered, and in an instant, the teenagers looked up as quick as a gunshot, heads snapping in her direction from their unsettled gazes in the general direction, towards the brunette who’s fingernails were digging into the soft skin of her palm. The tension between them hit a fever pitch as they all tried to avoid catching each others glances passing by. Suddenly she felt out of place — her mouth went dry, her eyes stung, and her throat formed a lump that she forced down. 

Stacy was the first to speak, only moderately throwing off the tense atmosphere, she momentarily glanced up, eyes darting towards Nellie before its downcasted again to the glass screen of her device, whilst Andy used the opening of a breath of fresh air within the tension to make a small comment about how dark the night had been. Though, the only thing Nellie really saw in her hazy vision was Noah’s eyes lazily burning a hole in her as she made the grave mistake of making brief eye contact with the boy — it wasn’t like he was staring, it was more like he was searching for her.

There’s a distinct and faint softness in his earthy hues — eyes that were sharp, and irritated to a now gentle tone as he rose from his position by the fountain and made his way over to her as if he was relieved to see a friendly face, as if her arrival made him feel a little better — because although he hadn’t spoken to his childhood friends in a decade, just like Nellie, he still felt the most comfortable with her. And Nellie would be lying if she didn’t feel a surge of butterflies erupt in her stomach in waves when she realised his first instinctual reaction to her arrival was to find her.

He sent her a greeting nod, completely unaware to her sweating palms, and weak knees as he tucked his own hands into the pockets of his denim jacket — he was soon followed by Lily, giving her a small smile that forced her cheeks to uplift in the slightest, though it failed to reach her emerald eyes as she stood on the other side of Nellie, pulling the wristband of her dark green sweater over her pale hands.

“Who’re we missing?” Noah asked, voice low and warm, as if his words were only for her to hear  — even if it wasn’t much of a private question to ask. He gently nudged her side with the tip of his elbow, gathering her attention as she began to count off the heads of the teengers like a teacher would for a roll call.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…” She counted aloud, light eyes darting around at the mixture of hair colours, figures, and skin tones, until she realised they were short of one  — “We’re missing one person.”

“Um… I don’t see Ava…” Lily quietly spoke up from beside Nellie, voice cracking due to the little use she had been using. She cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her broad chest, hiding herself from the world again, and tucking a rogue strand of hair behind her rose tinted ears.

As if Lily’s words had some type of magical power within them that happened to summon people to existence once a name was uttered from her lips, she found herself violently flinching when Ava coincidentally sauntered out of the darkness like a wolf prowling among the trees, and into the dim light of the overhanging lamppost, brandishing her canine grin, as if she was waiting for them to ask.

“You guys look like the cover of a Christian rock album.” The gothic teenager quipped  — her usual aloof nature on full display, but despite that, her arrival almost immediately warmed the flooding cool breeze and Nellie found herself stifling a laugh between her fingers at the comment.

“Jeez, what are you, a ninja?” Andy mocked with a slight chide in his tone as his almond-shaped eyes slide over her, a scowl painted on his features as he attempted to soothe his erratic heartbeat due to her unexpected arrival. She merely shrugged, an amused careless smile graced her face in return.

“Vampire, actually.” She corrected with a wink as she regarded Andy’s mockery with an ironic smirk. 

Lily cocked her thin brows upwards, a knowing smile playing on her lips, “But… I’ve seen you out in the sun.”

“I am the daywalker. Fear me.”

Nellie chuckled under her breath at their short interaction  — glad that at least a few of them seemed comfortable enough to playfully jest with each other, though, she soon cleared her throat, sensing the unease still prevalent within the air, only slightly being uplifted due to Ava. The silence had returned and Nellie knew the Redfield talk had to start sooner or later, even if if she was itching to leave, but it needed to be done. Redfield was back, and they shouldn’t wait around until he stopped tormenting them — they needed to put the entity to rest for good.

So, she stepped forward. One small step for her, but one giant step in the direction of finally avenging Jane’s death, and potentially saving another victim, Dan. She had rehearsed the conversation over in her head, how she planned on beginning it, and how she planned on ending it but as she stood there — with all their eyes falling on her, the words slipped out of her dry mouth, and her heart began to forcibly beat against the cages of her ribs.

It was as if a bright beaming light was shining down upon her, gathering the attention of everyone who peered at her like some sort of guidance — she felt uncomfortable, enough that she nearly stumbled over her words but she quickly managed to regain herself. She needed to bite the bullet no matter how much she felt trapped under their gazes, “O—kay, look…. We all know why we’re here. The blackout at the pep rally. The wind and the voice.”

At her position, Stacy freezed. The cheerleader eyes blew wide, stomach shifting in unease, as her shaking hands placed her phone into the handbag slung over her shoulder, “I —I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Stacy… you’re a crappy liar. I saw your face at the pep rally. I saw  _ all _ your faces. And you were all just as freaked out as I was. Because you all heard the same thing I did.” Nellie countered, a stern crinkle in her eye and pursed lips taking control of her face.

“Everyone plays together.” Noah whispered, as if he was testing the words on his tongue, as if saying it out loud made it real. His eyes were wide, boring no emotion as they focused on the ground, lips pulled into a thin line. 

A deafening, and heavy silence erupted among them, a silence that seeped into their veins like a slowly reacting poison, coiling around their limbs like a snake . Their eyes refused to meet each other as though if they did, it’d make it all come true. That the entity that had been haunting them for a decade hadn’t been a figment of their imagination, that the death of a friend hadn’t been one of a fatal accident. 

The teenagers had ignored, or at least avoided thinking about Redfield — chalking it down as a vague memory of sorts or a  _ ‘kids don’t remember much from their childhood’  _ comment. They tried to force themselves to forget about Jane, no matter how hard it hurt, forcing themselves to forget about the ancient ruins and the woodland entity. Even if the memories were just as vibrant and real as the day they were made, they pretended everything that happened to them was just an elaborate dream they all made up, or a story they had read somewhere, and Jane had died from a freak accident they had witnessed — but they all knew it wasn’t true, because although the coroner ruled her death as an accidental fall when they found her body — they saw everything, but they knew no one would believe them.

They watched her little coffin be lowered into the ground at her funeral, watched as her parents sobbed into each others arms, watched as Noah wailed like a dying animal, but they never spoke of it again. They made one last oath to never set foot into the woods again on account of Jane’s death, and they swore to never speak of it. A part of them tried to block everything of their childhood out, but it was hard to forget such a traumatic event.

“There’s… there’s something else…” Lily mumbled, voice meekly and small as everyone’s eyes fell on her, unfocused eyes flicking from the ground and upwards to Lily’s frame. With shaking hands, she reached down into the pocket of her pants and pulled out her phone, showing the group a series of memories that Nellie instantly recognised.

“Lily… are these texts from Dan?” She questioned, eyebrows knitted together but she didn’t need an answer to it  — the messages were a carbon copy of the ones she received, and by the sounds of the collected intake of breath the group took, it was obvious everyone got the same message.

“Wait, you got them too?” Lucas cried out, stepping forward to place a firm grip on the phone, eyes scanning the messages over and over until the words were burned into his memory.

“Hold up, did we  _ all  _ get weird-ass texts from Dan last night?” Ava asked, face sharing the exact confusion and undivided knowledge as everyone else. At the exact same time as the night before, everyone received the exact same messages — but that begs the question: how come Nellie was the only one to have that strange golem summon in her dream? How come no one else had that experience?

With shaking hands, Nellie’s fingers moved up the slope of her neck edging towards the tender bruises lining her throat, sending a chill down her spine at just the slightest of touches. What was happening? Why was she the only one to be attacked? Taking a deep breath to clear her thoughts, she turned towards the group, exposing the evidence of abuse decorating her ivory throat, “Guys… I have to tell you something…” 

Just as before, the groups eyes flickered to Nellie at her nervous call as she summoned the courage to recount everything that happened  — releasing the haunting memory into the world. She spoke of everything that happened, beginning with the texts… the golem who took possession of Dan’s frail body that had appeared at her house… wearing his face as a mask… the words he spoke, begging her to go back to the woods, ending with the blackout, and the disembodied voice. And by the time she had unleashed the words, she had a trail of tears racing down her cheeks. Finally, all of the pent up thoughts had been released, slipping out of her system through her eyes.

Lily hands rubbed her back comfortingly, giving her the strength she needed through the soft soothing touch she provided as the rest of the group watched on with concern, though their eyes showed their true disbelief. “I know it sounds crazy, but… I think it was  _ him _ . I think Mr. Red is back.” She finished, wiping at the trail of mascara lining her pale eyes. 

A bitter grimace contorted Andy’s features, a sneer at an invisible being as if he was right there with him, his jaws ticked with impatient frustration, and his fists were clenched as he growled, “We have to call the cops. Right now. They’ll find that sicko that attacked you and —”

“Andy…” She cut him off, voice cracking, “There’s no point. There’s no way the police would believe us.”

“You don’t know that.” Andy seethed, swinging around to look at her with a pensive flare of anger making itself present.

“Ava, would your dad believe you if you said a nightmare monster was coming to kill us all?” Nellie asked, a mocking edge to her tone as her head snapped towards Ava who merely scoffed at her question at all.

“Hell no. He’d make me pee in a cup and then search my room for drugs.”

“Besides, what are the cops gonna do against Redfield? Arrest him?” Noah added with a dull bitterness and a sneer that extended to his eyes.

“Yeah, alright. I get it.” 

“Maybe get the dirt monster to testify?”

“I said  _ I get it _ .” He repeated with a low growl, as though he was a wolf intimidating an enemy who dared walked on his claimed territory. 

With a tired sigh, Lucas ran his copper hands down the length of his face, dragging the skin downwards, before it bounced back to normal when he removed them, “Noah, leave her alone.” 

“Him.” Andy gritted out, glaring at him in the corner of his eyes.

“Huh?”

“Him. You said ‘her.’”

He immediately sobered up as the full realisation hit him like a freight train, and the consequences of his words sunk into the pits of his stirring stomach, “Oh, jeez. I’m sorry, Andy.”  

“It’s fine.” He shrugged in response, the offense seemingly flowing away from him due to Lucas’ apology  as not many people cared enough to apologise after misgendering him. It happened enough that Andy had became very defensive of his identity to the slightest of tones or facial expressions due to most people’s insensitive comments. Sometimes it’s an accident when people use the wrong pronouns, maybe they aren’t particularly used to transgenders, or aren’t very much educated with it, but he’s more forgiving when it came to that — though he instinctively always corrected them.  He understand people can’t always tell the difference between male and female, but he always made it his duty to correct people on their misgendering, and usually, they apologise in response.

The tension was still alive and well between the lot of them. A tense air filled with both frustration and fear of the unknown as they looked between each other in search of the answers none of them could give. They were only teenagers, barely adults, and yet they were hit with such a dire situation with possibly no way out. They had no one to turn to that would give them an insight into how to destroy an old ghastly entity, and definitely no one who would believe them in the first place. They’re kids, they aren’t supposed to be the ones to save the day  — but they had to stick together. They’re the only ones who can fight it.

Ava suddenly clicked her fingers, the small sound seemingly loud in everyone’s ears, “Oh yeah. Uh, speaking of cop stuff, Dan’s parents officially reported him missing this morning. Apparently he’d been in an out of the house these past couple of months but now had been reported missing for three days.”

“They  _ what?! _ ” Nellie exclaimed, dread dripping over her in an icy chill. She hadn’t seen nor heard of Dan in months, but she never thought he actually disappeared or went missing. She assumed he had quit school and moved away from home, or had just severed all ties with his childhood friends in order to start a new life, a fresh new slate without the memory of Redfield. But, he was actually… missing.

“Dan’s _ missing? _ And you’re just telling us about this  _ now? _ ” Noah spat, turning towards Ava with the impending urge to chastise her. 

“I figured you would have heard!” 

“Not everyone’s dad is the sheriff.” Stacy countered, a flash of annoyance taking control of her features.

“Guys, Dan could be in trouble. We have to go find him.” Nellie warned, quickly making an attempt to defuse the situation before a fight between Stacy and Ava ensued. Instinctively, her hands pushed Noah and Stacy away from Ava, giving them much needed space between them. Them fighting won’t make a difference  — they were frustrated, scared, and by god, they had the right to be — but fighting was only wasting time and they need to find the missing part of their group, they need to stick to professionalism.

Stacy merely scoffed at her response, “Nellie, come on. He needs actual help. From like, adults. And professionals. Professional adults.”

“No. It has to be us.” 

“And why is that, precisely?” Lucas inquired, eyebrows pinched, and lips pursed. 

“Because we know who took him.”

Stacy belted out a mockery of a laugh, a short burst of a heavy drain as she rolled her gray eyes dismissively, “Right… his imaginary friend from he was, like, eight years old.”

“You and I both know Mr. Red wasn’t just Dan’s friend.” Nellie frowned, with an anger in her eyes showing the scared child within. She projected her voice a little louder, looked into Stacy’s eyes with a dominating stare, but if Stacy looked deep enough, she’d see the pain beneath it, with the urge to fix what she couldn’t fix. The urge to save Dan from potential death as if to avenge her own guilt of allowing Jane to die. 

“And you know damn well he wasn’t imaginary.” Ava added, a churning anger bubbling up her system just as everyone else. It’s belittling knowing everyone was ignoring the issue  — the issue that they were now being haunted by their past, the issue that their own friend was in danger and no one seemed to care, or want to be involved. They were happy with ignoring it, but Ava and Nellie weren’t anymore.

“I know nobody wants to dredge this stuff back up. But it  _ happened _ . We all remember Mr. Red, and we all saw what he did to Jane.” Nellie declared, “We can’t let him do the same thing to Dan.”

“No one  _ did _ anything to Jane, Nellie. It was just a freak accident.”

“That’s bull, and you know it.” Noah growled lowly.

“All I  _ know _ is that we were a bunch of dumb kids who shouldn’t have been playing in the woods by ourselves!”

As the words flew from their mouths as did the rising of its pitch, growing louder over the solemn tension, but it was better than the silence, “Look, let’s all just calm down for a second and consider the facts.” Lucas started, eyes darting between Stacy and Noah who glared at each other with clenched jaws. “Everything that happened at the rally could be explained by some faulty wiring. As for Dan… what exactly are you proposing we do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We have to stop this. We have to go find Dan and figure out what he did, so we can  _ undo _ it. We have to go —”

“Into the woods…” Lily finished for her, cutting off her sentence and almost as if the world was listening in on their conversation, the moment the words left her lips the wind picked up with a powerful passion, scattering the fallen leaves across the asphalt in its wake. The girl backed away instantly, eyes watering and threatening to spill upon her blotchy cheeks as she repeatedly shook her head, “No. No, no, no… I’m not going back there!”

A pang of annoyance fluttered into Nellie’s guts at her words  — she understood the reluctance to venture into the past, and the fear of what lies beyond the treeline, but she hadn’t meant to have anger flaring up at the first sign of rejection. It wasn’t cowardice, Lily was reacting like any other rational person would, but Nellie couldn’t help the squinting of her eyes and the brewing anger within. Even if this revelation was horrifying, they had to suck it up to save Dan before Redfield hurts him, if he hadn’t done so already. They couldn't fail him like they did with Jane.

In the corner of her scowling eyes she watched as Noah took a tentative step towards Lily with his hands up in a calming gesture as if he was attempting to soothe a frightened deer. With his voice a honey warm, gentle quietness, and eyes sympathetic, he grabbed a hold of her wrist, “Lily, I know you’re scared, but if we want this to stop, we  _ have _ to —”

“Back off, man.” Andy blocked his path, stepping in front of Lily and firmly ripping Noah’s hand from her wrist, before shoving him backwards. “Lily doesn’t  _ have _ to do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“Are you serious right now?!” Noah snapped, all the gentle kindness slipping out of him, being replaced with a torrent of rage. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, nostrils flared as he took a step toward Andy. Blood was rushing in Nellie’s ear at this point at the impending signs of a fistfight between the two hot headed boy, because if push came to shove, she didn’t exactly know how she was supposed to end it without getting herself hurt.

But, as if the world sensed the tension ticking between them before the altercation would occur, the heavy main door of the high school slammed open, smashing against the brick wall, forcing the group to freeze like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. But instead, three cheerleaders exited the building, chatting loudly amongst themselves as they passed, before vanishing into the school’s parking lot.

Nellie finally let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.

“Noah, maybe  _ you  _ have time to go running around the woods chasing the boogieman, but some of us have real problems.” Stacy stated, eyes trailing on the path the cheerleaders took with a longing look within the pools of stormy clouds.

“Gettin’ kidnapped by some shadow monster nightmare dude seems like a  _ pretty real problem! _ ” 

“Guys… we need everyone’s help.” Nellie spoke up, but before she could think, her soft hands instinctively reached out to grab a hold of Noah’s narrow shoulders to pull him back in hopes of settling his breathing down before he forced himself into a fit of flying limbs and bloody injuries. He didn’t react much to her soothing touches, but she hadn’t exactly noticed the way his shoulder relaxed just the slightest.

“I’m sorry, I can’t get involved with this.” Stacy mumbled, eyes filled with a certain sorrow, and a hint of disappointment in herself  — perhaps she was disappointed in the way she refused to reopen the parts of her she had closed off from the world, perhaps she just wanted to remain normal.

“Why, ‘cause it might mess up your standing with the popular kids?” Noah fired back.

“No, because if Dan’s been kidnapped by some crazy guy, a bunch of us stumbling around in the woods doesn’t help.”

“And what if it’s not some guy? What if there’s actually something supernatural going on?” Nellie uttered, making a step forward. Between the three of them, it was if they were diminishing the area, getting closer the more angry and persistent they got. Removing the space between them with each step. But even if it was some crazed pyscho who happened to kidnap Dan, they shouldn’t just leave him there to rot. The cops wouldn’t believe a thing they say about an ghostly entity, the coroner ruled Jane’s death as an accident, no one would even humour the thought. It was only them who knew the truth.

“Then we should stay far, far away from it.” Lily voiced, gentle eyes falling to the ground once more.

“So you’re just gonna close your eyes and pretend nothing’s happening, just like you did when my sister died?” Noah tensed up again, eyes blazed in a blurry fury in just a heartbeat, as he glared at Stacy through frustrated tears.

“Noah —”

“No, I’ve had enough of this. Redfield killed Jane right in front of us, and you all shrugged it off like nothing happened!”

“Hey, no one ‘shrugged off’ anything!” Andy hissed through his teeth, shoving Noah backwards just the slightest which only resulted in Noah shoving him back a little more forcibly as all his pent us aggression was unleashed in a hellish fire of spit and rage.

“The hell you didn’t! Class president, cheerleader, basketball jock… you all seem to be doing just fine. The second Jane was in the ground, you were all happy to move on with your lives. And you’re pulling the same stung with Dan!”

“Oh,  _ now _ you care about Dan? Where have you been for the past year?” Stacy shouted, her gaze was an act of violence as she glared at him and tightened her jaw. “Where were you when Dan got totally wasted at the winter formal? Where were you when he was having breakdowns after every football game? Where the  _ hell  _ were you, Noah?! Where were any of you?!”

Things went quiet and still again as she stewed in her own anger. The atmosphere shifted as it did before, only now it was filled with a solemn silence, “I didn’t know Dan was having  _ that _ much trouble… why didn’t he say anything?” Andy mumbled.

“Because apparently when you’re a big football star you’re not allowed to have  _ feelings. _ ”

“But we could have helped…  _ I _ could have helped.”

“Well now it’s too late.” She spat, and with that Stacy spun around, storming off towards the parking lot leaving the rest of them in her wake. With her disappearing frame, Lily’s eyes fell to the ground beneath her shoes once more, unable to look anybody in the eyes as her words sunk in. She sighed, clutching her textbooks against her chest in a shaking, white-knuckled grip. 

“Lily…” Nellie sighed, noticing her frazzled expression, her wild eyes squinted shut as if to will her away from this conversation, as she worried her bottom lip in between her teeth. It was clear she wasn’t planning on sticking around.

“I… I’m sorry, but I can’t go back there. I just can’t.” She whimpered, sending Nellie an apologetic smile because if anything, seeing Nellie’s disappointed eyes was the hardest part of all for Lily, but she quickly scurried towards the parking lot along with Stacy.

With the departure of Stacy, left a calm, yet dejected atmosphere to loom among them like a thick coat. It was suffocating, and they all fought to not choke on the texture, but it was soon becoming to much for them  — when Noah turned his fiery gaze towards Lucas, face adorned with an accusing frown and an equally accusing finger jabbed into his direction, “I guess you’re gonna bail too, Captain America?”

He swallowed, and rubbed the back of his neck, before he sighed, “Look, even if I  _ did _ believe all of this… I just don’t have the time.” With nervous eyes, he gave a small smile in Nellie’s direction as if he was at least a little tempted to join them on their ventures into the woods, and Nellie almost thought he couldn’t resist the proposition, until he turned his back on her, and followed into the direction the two girls took.

It seemed as though Noah thought the same, that maybe Lucas would join them, but as he watched his form retreat into the shadows, he threw his hands up, and shouted, “Fine! Just bury your head in the sand! This isn’t just gonna stop, you know!”

Shaking her head slowly, she sighed, “Noah… we don’t need them. If they won’t admit what’s happening, then they won’t be any help anyway.” Noah didn’t look at her, he stared after the three of them as if his glare would somehow win them back  — but the ruffling of her jacket as she turned her head towards Ava who was now standing beside her, picking at her fingernails caught his attention, “So, what about you?”

“Oh, a creepy deep-woods ghost hunt is  _ empathetically _ my brand. I’m in.” She responded, and Nellie wasn’t sure what else she was expectanting from her, it really gave her one of the first smiles she’s had all night.

“Me too.” Andy chimed in, seemingly all hostility towards Noah now vanished, “I don’t know about this ghost crap… but Dan’s a good guy, and he needs us.”

“So, when are we going? Friday?” Ava went on to ask.

“What? No! We have to go tonight!” Noah quickly corrected, shaking his head incredulously as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“I can’t. My dad’s got this really strict school night curfew and WOW does this sound lame out loud.”

“Yeah, I can’t go tonight either. The team needs me here early tomorrow for training.” Andy added in, with an apologetic frown of his brows and pursed lips.

“Sure they do. How will team dudebro know they’re having fun without some minorities around to exclude?” Ava quipped with that ever present mischievous glint in her dark eyes.

Andy visibly stiffened at her remark, ready to snap at her with another offensive jab of his own, but when the words sunk in, he wilted like a flower on a cold, stormy night, because she was right about her claim. Racism was still alive in well  — though it seemed more vague these days, in the small jabs, or jokes, or the way they refused to allow him onto the court, only recently allowing him to be on the damn team. “I mean, you’re not  _ wrong _ . But I have to keep showing up, right? They can’t ignore me forever.”

Ava smirked, nodding with an impressed noise at the back of her throat, “I admire your optimism.”

“So, that’s it? You’re both sure you can’t come?” Nellie asked again, voice filled with an embarrassingly large amount of hope, that dwindled in front of her when Ava and Andy both shared equally doubtful looks between each other.

It’d be more dangerous if it was only Noah and Nellie waltzing into the woods alone like a meal served on a silver platter  — they would be much safer in numbers against Redfield, because the more, the stronger they will be with their conjoint strength against whatever hell reigned beyond the treeline.

“We’re all going.” She concluded without an ounce of resistance in her tone. “Ava, what if we told your dad you were studying at my house?”

She hummed, “That might actually do it. He always liked you. And he’ll be thrilled to hear I’m making ‘normal’ friends.”

Nellie tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the mention of ‘friends’, but she shoved it down with a biting smile as she turned towards Andy, “Andy, I know basketball is important to you… but this could be life or death. You’re the strongest person here, and I’d feel a lot better with you looking out for us.”

It didn’t take much persuasion for Andy to agree as he merely nodded in response, “Well, when you put it that way… alright. I’m in.”

“Noah?”

“Yeah, I’m in.” Even without seeing his face he knew by the tone of his voice that he was practically beaming, and when she turned towards him the butterflies sprung into action as his warm hues gazed down at her, teeth biting down on his bottom lip in a wide, boyish grin, transforming him from an temperamental boy with an attitude to boot, to someone she knew once before.

“Alright then. I’ve gotta go in and grab my stuff, so you can go on ahead. We’ll meet up in front of the hardware store.” Nellie quickly went on to say. Noah’s piercing smile took a toll on her it seemed, she couldn’t stop the burning of her cheeks and the smile that went along with it.

“Alright, then what?” Noah questioned.

“Then…. We go save Dan.”

**...**


	13. act three

 

 

i miss those days  
when we were all   
friends

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 3.**  ❛ STICKS AND STONES. ❜

**'DID YOU CRY?'  
** **. . .**

 

 

 

**//**

chapter nine ****— 009. STACY'S GOT A SECRET  
**** chapter ten  ** **— 010. WHAT'S EATING STACY GREEN?  
**** chapter eleven ** **— 011. A FAIRLY ODD COMBINATION  
**** chapter twelve **** **— 012. BASHING SKULLS AND TAKING NAMES**

****//** **

 


	14. nine

**009\. STACY'S GOT A SECRET  
** **(**      chapter nine _ **!**_       **)**

**...**

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  
_ ****MONDAY. 6:32 PM** **

 

 

**IT TOOK A** painfully long time for the dust to settle and the tension to drain between the remainder of the gang members who ended up following through with the plan, and Nellie could finally manage to breathe again as they went their separate ways. From dealing with the knowledge that Dan was officially deemed as missing after the odd messages, and the terrifying dream, Stacy dropping the bomb upon them that Dan had been suffering the whole entire time without any of them knowing, to Noah snapping and biting and practically growling at everyone like an old junkyard dog kicked one too many times, it was finally quiet,  a vaas contrast to the argument only moments prior, as if nothing had ever happened.

Jane had died, and Noah had to realise it wasn't any of their fault, not in the way he was making it out to be. There wasn’t much a bunch of eight year olds could do to save the girl, and in turn, they were all troubled by their experience with Redfield. They were all traumatised by what they saw, but it didn’t make them bad people for trying to get help and forget about it when the opportunity was brought to life. Granted, Nellie’s ‘help’ came in the form of neglect by her parents not wanting to deal with a child with post-traumatic stress disorder and all the effects that came with it. 

Instead they shut her out, ignored her. Whenever she’d have night terrors, flashbacks, or was forced to relive the same moment everyday, her parents wanted nothing to do with it.

But, Jane had died, and yeah, they could have dealt with their friendship in a better way rather than abandoning each other, but just because they moved on, and got the help they needed, didn’t mean they never cared nor mourned her.

It’s a known fact that everyone happened to mourn in their own different ways. It had been ten years since her death and the mourning had not run its course with Nellie. The heaviness was still in her limbs, the flashbacks, and the night terrors were still just as violent. Nellie tried not to hang onto it years later, but she had grieved and cried until there was nothing left but raw emptiness that nibbled at her insides like hungry rats. 

But Noah accused the lot of them as though they never cared, as if they had to truly let the experience eat them alive like it did to him, to ensure they truly cared. 

After Jane’s death, Nellie couldn’t bare to look at Noah  — she never hated him, she still loved him like she loved the rest of her friends, but Noah remained as the embodiment of Jane, and it hurt her enough to detach him from her life, to push him away, as if that’ll fix anything. 

Jane was her best friend, and she died a little when she did. She felt like it was her fault — Nellie was supposed to be the strong one, the protector, yet she couldn’t keep Jane alive. 

As a seven year old experiencing the trauma of watching her friend die, the helplessness was there, the utter horror — she mourned, she sobbed, she had vomited all over herself when she had to recount the series of events that occurred when she was speaking to the police. She wailed and sobbed at her grave, she couldn’t sleep without getting the most horrid of night terrors, she was too depressed to pick up a fork to eat, and she was forced relive that moment every second of every day.

But over time, the sadness slowly faded. She learned to stop thinking about it. The memory was still there — it never truly leaves, but she accepted what happened _happened_ , and there was no way to take it back, or go back in time to save her no matter how many times she prayed. But at least the memory faded only just, like an old photograph in an old photo album locked away in the attic to collect dust.

Jane was Noah’s twin sister, and twins were known to have an indescribable connection that only twins understood, she knew just how devastated the boy had been, how much he blamed himself — big brothers were supposed to protect their little sisters. But Nellie, no matter how much she regretted abandoning him, she couldn’t take it back. She couldn’t change the past and be with him throughout his grievance — they needed each other. But the best thing she could do now that she had the opportunity, was to be there for him  _ now _ . Even if it meant going back into the woods where they swore to never set foot in again.

Sucking in a deep breath, Nellie entered into the school building as Ava, Andy and Noah began to make their way towards their meeting point. The corridor was eerily empty in the evening — the lack of students bustling throughout the building gave her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, but that soon proved to be a lie when she spotted Britney, Cody and Jocelyn surrounding a cornered Lily who had her back pressed against the wall as if the wall would somehow cave in and she’d have the room to breathe.

“Great… like tonight wasn’t bad enough.” She mumbled to herself. She felt disgusted in the way they acted like a pack of wolves — Britney being the alpha who seeked out a timid lamb to torment while her pups watch on eagerly with cold eyes. Why was the sickly surge of delight when inflicting pain on another such a desirable thing? It made no sense.

“Okay, but seriously? This stalker thing is getting a little out of hand.” Britney sneered, glaring harshly down the straight line of her nose as if she thought herself better than the cowering teenager practically sinking to the floor.

“That’s not what I—”

“Come on, I think her little love note was kinda sweet!” Cody mocked as he flicked up a piece of wrinkled notebook paper in his hands, hazel eyes teasingly trailing over the handwritten words with a sick smirk,  _ “I don’t understand what I did to make you hate me. Where’s the kind, sweet girl who braided my hair for the middle school dance?” _

“Aww!” Jocelyn cooed from beside him, peering over his shoulder, “Is that true, Brit Brit? Were you and the widdle nerd best fwends?”

“Real mature, guys.” Stacy rounded the corner of the corridor seemingly hearing the commotion enough to defend Lily. In another circumstance, Nellie would be happy knowing someone was defending her from bullies, but Stacy was friends with them — she may be the nice one out of the bunch but clearly not nice enough to not associate with them. Seems popularity meant a lot more than happiness.

Britney rudely snatched the piece of paper out of Cody’s hands and shredded it into millions of tiny pieces before throwing it in the air, eyes scowling at Lily through the flutter of paper drifting to the floor like snow. She stepped towards Lily and harshly jabbed her finger against her chest, shoving the girl towards the wall. “I guess you didn’t get the message this morning, so let me spell it out for you. This sad little crush of yours was funny for a while. But now? It’s starting to get on my nerves.”

“I’m s—orry… I just thought… I just wanted to…” Lily stammered on her words, green eyes dripping with tears that fell down her round cheeks.

Stacy sighed, tearing her eyes away from Lily’s fumbling hands furiously knuckling at the tear stained lines like raised flags. “Brittney, let’s just go. I’m sure she—”

“ _ I’m not done talking. _ ” Britney snapped, flickering her burning eyes towards Stacy before flickering back to Lily. “Whatever creepy daydreams you have about me, you’re going to throw them out the window, because to me, you’re never going to be anything other than a pathetic, basement-dwelling—”

“Hey! Cut that shit out.” Nellie shouted before she realised her anger had taken root of her vocal cords. “High school’s hard enough without you and your hellhounds attacking anyone for making the small mistake of looking you in the eye, your majesty.”

Upon hearing Nellie’s voice, Britney’s rage doubled in its size as she turned towards her, nose flared and lips pulled into a thin line — Nellie could practically see steam radiating out of her ears. “Oh, good. Nellie the White Knight is here to save the day.”

“Yeah, must be nice being noble. Can’t say the same for you.”

“Nellie… you don’t have to do this. Just go…” Lily whimpered, pleading emerald eyes darting to her in hopes she’d leave, but Nellie was stubborn. She wasn’t going to leave her to be devoured by parasites.

“For once we agree on something. I think I’ve had enough of Nellie’s sass for one day. Cody?” Britney responded, jerking her chin at Cody.

Upon her order, Cody stepped forward with a wicked grin as he cracked his knuckles, “C’mere, I wanna show you this really cool thing I found in the cafeteria dumpster.”

“No. I’ve got this.” To everyone’s surprise, Stacy was the one to step forward, slightly shoving Cody away from Nellie and levelling him with a glare. At this, Nellie raised her eyebrows as Stacy stepped towards her, only for her to grunt when her hands tightly gripped around her elbow in a vice grip and steered her away from her popular friends.

“Look at Stace, taking initiative!” Cody beamed from behind them in a mocking gesture.

“Works for me. We’re still shopping on Saturday, right? I saw the cutest sweater at J&N the other day.” Britney called.

“Yeah, I’ll call you.” Stacy muttered in return but just before she dragged Nellie out of the building, she glanced back at the group and watched in guilt as Lily scurried away from the scene, tears streaming down her face.

The stuffy heat of the corridor had subsided greatly when they reached the front door of the building, only to be greeted with the cold gentle evening air licking at her face, creeping under her clothes and spreading across her skin when they reached the outside that forced a shiver to be released from her. At her side, Stacy released her aching elbow with a hard jerk. 

“How are your hands so freakin’ strong?!” Nellie complained as she rubbed at the tender redness in the form of fingerprints appearing on her elbow.

“Ten years of gymnastics.” She muttered, eyes flickering towards Nellie with a glare for absolutely no reason, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

“Gymnastics, huh? Explains how you’re flexible enough to walk around with your head up your own ass.” 

Stacy’s eyes bulged out of her head in shock at Nellie’s comment before sneering, “Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Open your eyes! Britney and her goons are just a bunch of malicious assholes. They’re not your friends!” 

“You think I don’t know that?!” Her eyes were narrowed, and her hands were clenched into tight fists — there was an anger in her voice, an anger that wasn’t aimed at Nellie as the words flew from her mouth like bullets. “You think… I want to be Britney’s sidekick? You think I don’t know she’s literally the worst person on the planet?”

Nellie’s eyes softened at that, “Then why…” But she should have known. The way Stacy reacted at the pep rally when she caught Britney’s scowling eyes that seemed to wilt even the most brightest of flowers when she began with a flawless trick than tumbling straight onto her face at the exact moment they locked eyes. Or the way she didn’t even have the decency to help her to her feet and instead sat at the bleachers and laughed along with everyone else. Britney had power over her, more so than normal, treating her as though she’s expendable and making her perform tricks like a little monkey for her own personal entertainment but Stacy can’t fight back, no matter how much she wanted to. There’s only one explanation. “Stacy… did Britney threaten you?”

“Wh—what do you mean?” She feigned ignorance but Nellie could tell by the shift of her eyes that her words hit where it hurt the most. So she decided to elaborate.

“Everytime I see you guys together, you act like she’s got a knife to your throat. What I don’t get is how she could possibly be a threat to you. You’re more popular than her, your family’s well off—”

“That just means I’ve got more to lose.” She uttered, solemn eyes falling to the pavement below her sneakers as she kicked at a random pebble to avoid Nellie’s sympathetic eyes. She’s quiet for a while, almost as if she was calculating her next move as she glanced over her shoulders for a way out.

“Stacy, you can trust me. Whatever it is… I just want to help.”

She turned her attention back to her with frustrated lines creasing into her forehead, pursed trembling lips that she bit down on hard to keep herself from releasing the defeated sob she desperately wanted to release, under her eyes were shadows, dark shadows that Nellie never had the chance to notice until now — the cheerleader who wanted everyone to see her as a confident, carefree girl with a how life ahead of her. The pretty teenager with the perfect dirty blonde hair and the perfect wealthy life. It was saddening to see how hopeless she looked. 

Little Miss Perfect wasn’t so perfect after all.

And then she said it.

“Britney’s… blackmailing me.”

“What?!” Nellie’s eyes widened in disbelief, lips parted to accommodate the words that won’t spill, “Blackmail?! So the fall during the pep rally…”

“Rule one: never outshine Britney on the cheer squad. Closely followed by two: never talk back to Britney, and rule three: buy Britney all the tacky-ass sweaters and ankle booties she wants.”

Nellie scoffed with a roll of her eyes, “Jeez, Stacy. What does Britney have on you?”

She shrugged loosely, “Oh, just a video that could totally tank my mom’s re-election campaign and earn me the title of _ ‘worst daughter in the entire universe.’  _ Britney had this big birthday party over the summer. It wasn’t really my scene, but I felt like I needed to make an appearance, you know?”

“The perils of being popular.” Nellie quipped.

“The worst part is… I actually had a great night. It was the first in years that’d I’d just let go and have fun. But then…” With a resigned sigh, she looked away from Nellie and rubbed at her temples. “Whatever. You probably don’t care about my dumb mistakes.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t care, Stacy. You can tell me anything.”

“Seriously?”

“I mean… no pressure, but telling someone might make you feel better. And I promise I won’t judge you.”

“Okay, fine. But if you tell anyone…”

“I won’t, pinkie swear.” She promised, icy blue eyes genuine and sincere, “Here.” With a small smile playing on her pink lips, she held out her pinkie finger and nodded towards it, “I pinkie promise whatever you say, I won’t judge or tell a soul.”

Stacy broke out into a mighty grin at her childish gesture but she couldn’t help but go along with it anyways. It really hit her with a wave of nostalgia as she looked at Nellie’s pinkie finger, it made her think back to their childhood when their fundament of trust was based solely on pinkie promises, and those promises were sacred — they wouldn’t dare break it.

“Okay.” She held out her ring adorned pinkie and wrapped it around Nellie’s with a small smile before she took a deep breath, “It was like… mid-June, and Britney’s parents were out of town…”

**...**


	15. ten

**010\. WHAT'S EATING AT STACY GREEN?  
** **(**      chapter ten ** _!_      )**

**. . .**

 

 

 **AS SOON AS** the door to Britney’s large home swung open, Stacy could already feel the loudness of the music rattling in the marrow of her bones as it thundered throughout the house. With each bass it erupted, her heart thumped in time with it, sending tingles up and down her spine. Immediately she was engulfed in the party spirit, as bodies moved together in sync, rhytimaicaly breaking into colours and shapes, and over the roar of music, she could hear distant chatter, and joyful laughter of drunk teenagers ringing in her ears.

Stacy’s not one to party, not one to indulge in alcohol, or anything related to it, but even by standing in the hallway of Britney’s home, the home she’s been to many times before where she’d seen Britney at her most human through the frame photographs of her growing up plastered on the walls by parents that loved and adored her — it’s looked so much different now when there's swarms of humans scattered about, she felt a little overwhelmed by it all.

Without Britney’s parents supervision, there was far too many people, people she didn’t even recognise drinking liquor from red cups, swaying to the beat. Hormonal and drunk energy seemed to bounce off each body dancing, jumping in time to the beat of the music that threatened to shake the walls down to its skeleton.

The party was in full swing, that much was obvious. During the drive there, Stacy had repeated all the rules her mother had told her.  _No drinking, no doing drugs, don’t stay out too late, always check your drinks, go to the bathroom with someone, don’t take free drinks_  — all the rules that had been forced into her brain since she was old enough to  _want_  to party and hang out with boys, can’t say the same rules were applied to her older brother, Connor, though. He was allowed to live and be a teenager, but Stacy was protected, and not allowed to indulge in a teenage life.

Her mother originally refused to let Stacy go, but ironically, on that night she had something to do with her job, meaning Stacy would just have to be home before she even suspected she left. Thanks to her brother who offered to drive her to the party and make up some dumb excuse if their mother was to come home from work early — he always had her back.

Already knowing what her mother’s answer was going to be, she still tried to convince her that it was only a small get together at Britney’s house — just sitting around on the couch, eating popcorn and watching movies, but her mother saw right through the lie. Moms were good at detecting even the smallest of lies.

Stacy didn’t even want to be at the party, really. Despite her reputation as a popular girl, people expect her to be at every party and event she got invited to, but in truth, parties just weren’t her thing. She would much rather be at home in bed, watching a new TV series than hanging out with hormonal teenage boys. Her plan as Britney’s friend was to just mingle with the partygoers, dance, make sure to say hello to the birthday girl, and get the hell home before eleven thirty.

Should be easy.

“Yo! Stacy!” The voice of Ben, the captain of the basketball team, shouted over the loud music from his position in the kitchen. Leaning against the counter with a red cup in his hand, the pretty boy, with the fair skin, dark brown hair, and amber eyes, waved her over, a large grin dominating his face at the very sight of her.

Stacy didn’t really talk to him much, but she was just grateful to see a familiar face amongst the sea of strangers.

Manoeuvring her way through the flow of bodies, she eventually reached the archway of the kitchen situated under the beam of pink streamers and stars dangling from the ceiling, and waved at the boy, “Hey!”

As you’d expect, the kitchen was large, filled with even more teenagers who managed to find a semi-quiet place to chat without being knocked around by the crowd. The blue cabinet shoved against the wall held countless bottles of alcohol, from wine, to vodka, whiskey, to beer — Britney's parents were avid collectors of alcohol bottles, especially wine. They weren’t heavy drinkers, only a glass of wine at the dinner table, but it always did confuse Stacy as to why they had so many bottles of alcohol they weren’t even planning on drinking. Who knew how old those drinks were. But Britney handed those drinks out like candy, just to refill them with water before her parents knew of her offense.

The family dinner table was decorated in pink, filled with empty bottles of vodka, and an entree of finger foods — Stacy quickly swiped up a piece of cheese before making her way over to Ben.

“Was wondering if you were gonna show up.” He commented, eyes staring into her own as he took a sip of his drink that appeared to be straight up beer, and she nibbled on her cheese.

Stacy shrugged, a small smile adorning her lips, “Gotta be fashionably late, right?”

“For sure. And, can I say, it was definitely worth the wait. You’re lookin’ hot tonight.” His eyes slowly swept down the length of her body in a casual look, and Stacy would be lying if she didn’t feel a rush of adrenaline poking her system knowing someone at least found her attractive. Whether it was unconscious or not, she wore her prettiest outfit for a reason. Purple cardigan over a white top, casual, yet form fitting.

Ignoring the warm flush rising to her cheeks, she playfully shoved him so he wouldn’t see it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he got her blushing, “Flatterer. Have you seen, Brit? I should say hi, since it’s her birthday and all…”

“Last I saw, she went… that-a-way.” He replied, gesturing towards the living room, before returning his attention to her with what he would call a seductive look, but Stacy would call it a tryhard, especially when he lowered his voice to sound even more sensual, “But you can find her later, right?”

Humoring his attempt at flirting, she grinned, “Don’t worry… I’ll probably see you around.” And with that, she walked to the direction he pointed at, ignoring his cries from behind her with a small smirk.

“This hard-to-get thing just makes me want you more!”

She turned with an arrogant smirk, and waved at him before taking the small step into the sunken living room. And like everything else in the house, it was expensive. She immediately spotted Britney seated on the cream coloured couch next to an array of other teenagers huddled around her. It wasn’t hard to find the girl amongst the sea of faces, due to it being her birthday, she wanted to be the centre of attention, it’s no wonder why she looked the most pretty.

Her telltale perfect brown hair was loose around her shoulders, straightened and styled to appear effortless as it kissed her expensive black leather jacket that hugged her shoulders, and beneath her jacket was a pink woolen shirt. The olive-toned teenager was scowling as usual, as she regarded another girl who was innocently dancing with one of her friends. Her honey brown eyes scanned the girls body with a-not-so discreet look of disgust before turning to the girl beside her, and whispering into her ear, “Can you believe it? Lina can’t even hold a handstand on her own, and she’s still higher up on the pyramid than me!”

Being the captain of the cheer squad and being friends with the mean girls of the school, Stacy’s gotten used to pointing out everyone’s faults and flaws, but she wasn’t the one to needlessly hurt someone just because she was envious of their position. People tend to compare themselves to others constantly, and then they hate the innocent person they compared themselves to because they aren’t like them. It’s human to spot the flaws in someone, especially of someone you’re aspiring to be. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t. But there’s a difference between noticing things, and being a downright bitch about it.

From beside Britney, Jocelyn piped up, nodding furiously to her comment, “But, she’s, like, ninety pounds. Don’t they put heavier people on the bottom?”

Britney’s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, “Um, did you just call me  _heavy_?!”

“Um… it’s probably all muscle?”

“Whatever.” She scoffed in response, relaxing back into the couch with her arms crossed over her chest, “I’ll be on top someday even if it kills me. I mean, I’m the only person on that squad with any actual  _talent._ ”

Upon hearing those words, Stacy marched towards the group with her hands on her hips at the notion, “Britney… do you actually think that?!”

The voice of Stacy made Britney flinch before she whirled around not entirely expecting her to be behind the couch with her hands on her hips and an unimpressed look shifting her features. Her eyes blew wide at her presence, as she stammered for a purchase of words, “Stacy! You’re here! I mean—of course I didn’t mean any of that. I was joking!”

“That wasn’t a very nice joke, Britney.”

Britney’s eyes cascaded to the floor with a sad frown on her face as if her parents had caught her stealing cookies from a jar and she was trying to guilt trip her way out of it, “You’re so right, and I’m really sorry. You know everyone on the squad is like a sister to me.”

That’s a load of bull, and Stacy wasn’t an idiot. If Stacy didn’t know any better, she would think Britney’s guilt and crocodile tears were real — she was a good actor, but Stacy’s been around Britney for years and she knew exactly how she was. She was callous, she didn’t know how to display the correct emotion if it hit her. But she learned how to fake it. Her mother had chastised her for not showing emotion when she was growing up, and Britney found herself looking in the mirror and grinning happily, and crying sadly, and growling angrily. It’s hard to tell if she was lying or not.

From beside her, the girls giggled loudly at Britney’s words, and Stacy didn’t miss the flash of burning rape appearing in Britney’s eyes before it vanished as quickly as it came, covered up with a forced smile, pearly white teeth on display — they looked more like the canines of a beast than an actual smile. “Um, I’m really glad you could come, Stacy! I thought Mayor Mom didn’t approve of partying.”

“She’s at a fundraiser, benefit, conference, whatever until late. She won’t even notice that I’m gone.” Stacy replied.

“Why even bother? I mean, everyone knows she’s gonna win,  _again._ ”

“She’s got my vote! I like the way she says _‘filibuster’_.” Jocelyn added, smiling warmly at Stacy.

A groan flowed from her lips, and she rolled her eyes, “She’d better win. Then she can tuck the campaign monster away for another eight years or so.”

“Jeez, sounds like your mom’s a real hardass.” Britney commented, before sipping at her chosen beverage.

“No, no, that came out totally wrong. She’s just really passionate, you know? She wants to make Westchester the best it can be.” Stacy quickly stated, backtracking what she said before Britney got the wrong idea. It’s not like her mom was a bad person — she’s great, she’s lovely, if anything, Stacy and her were pretty close, not as much anymore, but they were close. She loved her mom, but around this period she would become quite the annoyance. Rarely home, constant bickering.

With her being the mayor, Connor and Stacy had to be perfect.

“Oh yeah, totally.”

Suddenly the music got louder, and Jocelyn squealed in excitement, wriggling her body to the beat, “Oooh, I love this song! Let’s go dance!”

“Sure! I can only stay for a little while, though.” Stacy responded apologetically.

“Well, then let’s make this dance count…” Britney winked as she stood up and reached out her hand for Stacy to grab.

The popular girl practically dragged Stacy onto the glittery dance floor — the dance floor being just another section of the living room, where all the furniture was pushed to the side to allow room for them to dance — Jocelyn was already bouncing around and dancing without a care in the world with several other students dancing alongside her. Britney offered her a drink, handing over her cup and nodded for Stacy to drink.

Stacy eyed the amber liquid, and the small ice cubes that float to the top. It’s tempting, really. Britney reassured her it was safe, even taking a sip herself. And finally, Stacy let herself go. Wrapping her long fingers around the plastic cup, she brought the rim to her lips and drank it. There’s no going back now. The liquid was sour and vile as it sat in her mouth, she wanted to recoil, but she stayed put.

Stacy finally let loose and allowed the music to seep into her skin and bones as she swayed to the beat and shook her hair crazily like Jocelyn. They were all grinning like idiots, because they were happy, and alive — Stacy felt  _alive_. And as she’s dancing with Britney and Jocelyn, it really reminded her why she loved these girls.

But while doing this, she kept routinely checking the watch on her wrist, ensuring she’s home before her mother realises she’s missing. There’d be hell to pay.

━━━━ ∘◦ ⛧☽ ◦∘ ━━━━

 

A few hours had passed, switching between dancing and having a conversation, back and forth they went, and Stacy was still laughing with her friends, shimmying on the dance floor, and drink cup after cup. She was drunk — or at least she thought she was. She had never drank so much alcohol before but the effects were making her feel light like she was floating on cloud nine. The scent of alcohol invaded her nostrils with each exhale of air and she felt euphoric and delirious.

The first thing she realised when she was drunk was that each drink offered a new confidence. Jokes were funnier, she became something of a comedian, and she could flirt with any guy without an ounce of shame. She felt pretty — and light, nothing could stop her now.

Stacy let out a cheerful just as the next song started, she felt out of breath, but she kept on wiggling around causing Britney to turn to look at her with a smirk.

“Check this out!”

Stacy watched in amusement as Britney did a slow body roll, biting her lower lip as she sent a random boy across the room a coy smile and a seductive wink causing the boy to be flustered under her gaze.

“Oh yeah?” Stacy laughed, accepting the challenge. She dropped down low into a squatting position before whipping her pony tail in a circle with a wide grin on her before bouncing back up again. She bathed in the attention she was receiving. All eyes were on her, cheering her on. God, she felt so pretty.

Jocelyn cheered, clapping her hands, “Yes! Get it Stace!”

“Yeah, party girl! Aren’t you glad you stayed?” Britney questioned.

“Huh?” Flicking her wrist over to check the time on her watch, she gasped as the clock ticked just after midnight, ticking closer and closer towards her impending doom and towards her deadline. Her body felt cold as if someone had dunked her under freezing water, and all the blood drained from her face. She practically felt like Cinderella in this moment, having to be home before her clothes turned into rags. “I need to get home… Mom’s gonna kill me!”

“Aww, boo. I like party Stacy.” Jocelyn sulked, jutting out her bottom lip and giving her the biggest puppy eyes as if that’ll make her stay.

She smiled apologetically, bidding farewell to her friends before she grabbed her purse from the couch and made a beeline towards the front door, squeezing through the hormonal teenage bodies rubbing against each other, and past the group of teenagers playing Beer Pong but even before she could reach the front door, she overheard her name in a conversation and paused. Her heart sank when she turned her head to see Ben and Cody chatting amongst themselves by the stairs near the front door.

“So, Stacy’s single, right?” She heard Ben ask.

“Pretty sure. You into her?” Cody replied with a knowing grin.

“Maybe…”

Even as Stacy’s wobbling like a newborn deer, the words made a lazy smile slip onto her face as she inched a little closer, staying out of sight so they couldn’t see her.

“Fair warning. Stacy’s chill but her mom is a  _beast_. I hear she does a background check on anyone who tries to date her daughter.”

“Who said anything about ‘dating’? Girl’s crazy hot, sure, but she’s also… you know.”

“What, stuck up? Total stick in the mud?”

“Right? I could never date someone that boring. I need a girl who knows how to have fun.”

Her smile dropped. It was if his words managed to sober her up because her mind quickly cleared out, all confidence leaving her in a split second, as her heart sank to the pits of her stomach. Do people really think she’s boring? His words felt like a knife to the stomach. With her lips trembling, gaze casted to the floor, she turned away from the duo as her vision began to blur just as Ben and Cody’s laugh rang out loudly in her throbbing head — their voices doubled in volume, louder than the music, louder than her thumping heart that pounded in her eardrums. She had to leave.

She rushed to the back door, deciding leaving the house through the backyard and walking home at night seemed like the better option than to stay at this stupid party. She could call Connor to pick her up, but with her trembling, numb hands it was hard to grab the device out of her bag, and as she was rummaging through her bag for it, she managed to run straight into a body instead.

“Hey, watch it you… wait, Stace? What happened?”

Looking up, she realised it was only Britney — a part of her was glad it was her rather than some stranger, but than the smarter part of herself knew Britney’s caring attitude was a lie. “N—nothing. I’m fine. Have f—fun with the rest of your party.” She forced a teary eyed smile at Britney who was oddly being sympathetic towards her disadvantages.

“Oh no you don’t. Come on, let’s go somewhere private…”

Before she knew it, Britney was being sheppard up the stairs, away from the loud music, past Cody and Ben who hadn’t noticed Stacy was upset due to their comment, and up into Britney’s room. The room was just as perfect as Britney, yet it had character, and truly showed how human she was. With walls painted a dark lilac, plastered in various posters. Her wooden bed sat against the wall with a messy white and dark pink blanket, clutter decorated the room and the hanging lights above the window blinked in time with the tears running down her face, ruining her makeup in the process.

Britney closed the door behind her, and led Stacy to have a seat on the mattress of her bed as she wiped at her tears to avoid smudging it even further. “Okay, spill. What happened down there?”

“I told you, it’s n—nothing…”

“Okay, it’s obviously  _not_ nothing, but keep pretending if you want. I’ll wait.”

Stacy was almost taken aback by Britney’s sudden kindness. On any other day, Britney wouldn’t miss a chance to be gleeful at the sight of another person's misfortunes. The worries of others were not of her concern, unless it was directed at her. Then it was the end of the world. But somehow having Britney around right now was what Stacy needed. Even if it meant confiding her feelings into the devil himself. She watched through teary eyes as Britney took a seat at her vanity table, pulling out her phone and playing a random game.

“Hey, Britney…” She winced as her voice came out choked, small and croaky.

“Hm?”

“Be honest… do people think I’m boring?”

“Okay… you totally didn’t hear this from me but…”

“But what?”

“Buuut, let’s just say ‘Miss Perfect’ is one of the  _nicer_ nicknames you’ve picked up.” Stacy knew Britney wasn’t one to sugarcoat things, but it still make her comment any less painful — she wasn’t prepared for the sting her words could make. With trembling lips, Stacy averted her gaze to her heels, and sighed, already feeling the ache in her throat of trying to hold back tears — but Britney smiled sadly, something that shocked her, especially when she reached out her hand to touch her shoulder comfortingly, did she care? “Hey, who cares what other people think, right? You’re captain of the cheer squad,  _and_ your mom’s the mom’s the mayor! You’ve got, like, the perfect life!”

Something inside of Stacy snapped at her statement, like an overly boiling pot spilling over the edge or the snap of an elastic band being pulled too far. “No, I don’t! I hate my life!”

She was sick of people thinking that just because a person looked like they had their shit together, looked like they’re happy with their lives or just appeared successful, that it meant that everything was perfect behind closed doors, when it wasn’t always the case. They’re still human. They still have their demons no matter how much money they made, no matter how happy they looked. Life wasn’t as simple as black and white. Life didn’t magically get better just because Stacy’s mother was a mayor and she’s the captain of the cheer squad.

Britney’s mouth hung open at her revelation, her hand held tightly onto her phone as if that could ground her to reality that little miss perfect had dirty little secrets. She watched as Stacy’s mouth kept moving, words pouring out without much thought process that could block out and filter her words.

“Everyone thinks we’re this perfect little family because that’s what  _Mayor Mom_  needs us to be… but it’s all fake! Mom and dad  _hate_  each other. They’re both having affairs, and they don’t even  _try_  to hide it from me!”

“No way…”

“Every night’s the big screaming match between them… except for the nights they’re screaming at  _me_ for putting one toe out of line.” She was crying by now as she let her head drop into her hands with a defeated sob. “I’m so  _tired_  of having to be the mayor’s perfect daughter every freaking second of every freaking day, when she doesn’t even care about me…”

The bed rocked slightly and dipped when Britney moved to sit beside her, pulling her into a one-armed-hug without saying a word — and Stacy was so grateful. “That really, super sucks, Stacy. I had no idea your mom was that bad.”

“Nobody does. If they did, she’d be out of office, like, tomorrow. Thanks for listening, Brit. I’m sorry to be such a downer at your party.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Stace.  _Really_ …”

There was a double edged meaning to her words that Stacy didn’t notice until too late but while she sat there with a listening ear at her side, there was so much more she wanted to say. How all her pain wasn’t  _just_  from her toxic parents. She wanted to tell her that she missed her childhood friends, and how it hurt when she saw them wandering the halls and not having the right to speak to them anymore. How it hurt that Lily and Lucas followed the academically intelligent student path, Lucas became successful which was great, but who knew what was going on behind closed doors, but Lily was being bullied by her own friends. How Noah became a shell of the boy he was once before, how Andy had joined the basketball team and even though they were in the same boat, he still didn’t acknowledge her existence. How Ava had stopped talking to people in general and just prefered to sit by herself at lunch. How Dan became mentally ill before dropping off the face of the planet. But most of all, it hurt how much Nellie became quiet. She didn’t talk to people, she didn’t acknowledge people, she avoided everyone.

The once bubbly, brave girl with no bad bone in her body had become silent.

She missed how close the two used to be. Nellie had always been the glue that held the group together, always been the strong one, always been the brave one, always been the one to hold her hand and tell her things will be fine, they’ll find a way, they’ll get through it, things don’t always work out and that’s okay. She had always been the one to make things better. But then they all stopped talking.

Nellie had tried to make amends with everyone in the first week of Jane’s death, but the group was all too emotionally destroyed to be kids anymore. They weren’t the innocent pure things they once were, not when they saw one of their best friends be killed right before their eyes. It’s enough to send anyone spiralling, but Nellie tried. She tried but she gave up.

What would have happened if she didn’t give up?

They’d probably all still be friends, right? Ava wouldn’t be sitting alone at lunch, Stacy wouldn’t be hanging out with people she hated, Lucas and Lily will still be succeeding but Lily wouldn’t be harrassed, Noah wouldn’t be so angry, Dan would be getting help, and Nellie would be their glue again.

She didn’t want to pull all the blame on Nellie, but, she just missed her so much. And seeing them all reunited at school made her heart soar. But it wasn’t the same. It could never be the same again. And that hurt the most.

━━━━ ∘◦ ⛧☽ ◦∘ ━━━━

 

PRESENT DAY.

Nellie watched on with sympathetic eyes as Stacy trailed off with her story, cheeks flushed and gaze averted to the ground as she sniffled. “The next morning, I woke up to a text from Britney.”

“Don’t tell me…” She frowned, face falling even before the words fell from Stacy’s lips as she revealed Britney’s true motive the entire time.

“Yup. She recorded the whole thing on her phone.”

“After you just confided with her?! That’s just… horrible!” Anger coursed through her veins. Nellie couldn’t be anymore angry. At the beginning of her story, Britney seemed… somewhat nice, Stacy talked about her like she had always treated Stacy with kindness — by the end of her story was like a slap across the face. She knew just how cruel Britney tended to be, but never did she think she would sink this low to blackmail someone she called her friend.

It was sickening how much power she had over Stacy’s reputation just because she trusted Britney enough to vent. Her toxic parents having an affair, the constant arguments, the control over Stacy — every secret she had to keep her reputation as clean as possible, was now being held for ransom by Britney for her own sadistic amusement.

The chill wind that blew around them, flowed between the button holes of her drawstring jacket, and tousles her chaotic mess of brown hair, but it failed to cool down her burning hatred for Britney. She was beyond fuming at how heartless she was. There was no genuine love that came from that girl — only the ability to use people and not feel an ounce of guilt. It really made her question what type of psychotic disorder this girl had to be amused by the disadvantages of others and using that for her own gain.

“It _really_  is.” Stacy sighed, running her fingers through the strands of her dirty blonde curls, “But telling someone about it feels good. I’ve been keeping that bottled up for _months._ ”

“I’m glad I could help.” Nellie smiled at her, though, she dipped her head a little, overcome with sudden shyness, “But… maybe if you told your parents what happened…”

“Nellie, are you insane? Dad would ground me for twenty years, and then mom would  _murder_  me!” She exclaimed, eyes wide in shock at even the mere mention of that suggestion, “If she found out I endangered her campaign? She’d never let me leave the house again. And if that video gets out… I can see the headlines now…  _Mayor’s daughter tells all! Green’s marriage, family, and entire political career is a sham!”_

“Okay, number one: it seems like your parents care more about their public image than their own kid. Number two: I don’t want you to think I hate your parents, but your parents are assholes, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“And, number three: when it comes to Britney… are you seriously just going to sit back and let her take everything from you?”

“I’ll… I’ll figure something out. I just don’t know what yet.”

Nellie felt empathy for Stacy. She truly could relate to her problems, and it’s probably why she felt so passionate about this topic. Whereas Stacy’s parents fell out of love and were now constantly arguing, Nellie’s parents don’t even sleep in the same bed. It’s like they’re strangers living together in a cold, dead, house. A sad part of Nellie would rather the constant arguing over the constant silence in the house. She was lonely — her parents were hardly ever home, she doesn’t even remember a time where they all sat down for dinner in the same room without one at work, or the other in the study.

Her mother would make dinner, serve it, and then her father would take a plate and sit in the living room. Her mother would go upstairs into the study and Nellie would be sitting alone at the dinner table wondering where everything went wrong. The miscarriage of her baby brother took a toll on her mother, but it felt as though she forgot about the daughter that’s alive. She’ll be lucky to get a smile out of her dad. Her mom talked to her, but not as often as she would like.

Stacy’s parents, however, were home, but just didn’t acknowledge their child, too busy caring about their public image and their career that they wouldn’t dare have Stacy step out of line or god forbid have a little bit of fun at a party every now and then because it might taint their perfect little image of their perfect little family.

As Stacy trailed off, the sniffling sound of an upset teenager could be heard, gathering both of their attention. Spinning around to spot the source of noise, Nellie’s icy eyes trailed over Lily who emerged from the school with tearful eyes and a wet face as she walked towards the bus stop.

“I’d better go after her.” Nellie told Stacy with an apologetic smile on her face, but instead, Stacy placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her movements.

“No… let me. I’ve stood by too many times when I should’ve been helping her.” She gave her a warm look that Nellie couldn’t help but smile at. A look with new inspired motivation to set things right, all of which made Nellie feel fuzzy and warm inside.

“Alright.” She couldn’t help the smile that grew on its own accord, ignited by Stacy jogging towards Lily. Every fiber in her being felt like it was vibrating in excitement.

Lily, wait up!” Stacy called out, and immediately, her head snapped in the direction of where the voice came from, and she sulked, stopping but running away from her.

“What, did Britney send you to y—yell at me some more?” She stammered, eyes glaring at Stacy and she held tightly onto her books.

“No! I… Lily, I’m so sorry. I… I never wanted you to get hurt. I hate the way those guys treat you.”

“Then why don’t you say something?”

“It’s complicated… and also totally my own fault. If… you want, maybe I could buy a cinnamon hot cocoa and explain it all....” She proposed with a hopeful lilted voice, eyes shining like a little kid bargaining for a slice of chocolate cake, “But you know, I’ll also totally understand if you wanna just tell me to go to hell. You deserve better friends than me.”

Lily stared in awe, dumbfounded that Stacy was even apologising in the first place, and especially even more seeing Stacy in front of her, casually asking her to hang out. She stared, longer than necessary as she calculated her next response — then a large smile stretched across her face, “You remembered.”

“Huh?”

“You remembered that cinnamon hot cocoa was my favourite.”

Stacy smiled widely, ears embarrassingly tearing up at the nostalgic memories of their childhood — the good kind when they were innocent, way before Mr. Red ruined everything. Her face was beginning to ache at just how much she was grinning like a fool as they linked arms and walked towards the direction of Stacy’s car.

“Good job, Stacy.” Nellie whispered to herself, smiling as they disappeared into the night. Hitching her denim bag a little higher on her shoulder, she stepped onto the road and breathed in the night air.

Nellie wasn’t expecting after the lonesome summer break she was going to make amends with all of her childhood friends again. Maybe things will get better. Maybe friendship may blossom between them. She couldn’t wait for what this school year had to offer after Dan was found, and Mr. Red successfully put to rest.

And as she made her way towards the hardware store where she was going meet up with Noah, Ava and Andy, she couldn’t help but grin. Because they _will_ find Dan, and maybe… just maybe things will finally be okay.

**...**


	16. eleven

011.  **A FAIRLY ODD COMBINATION**  
 **(** chapter eleven ** _!_** **)**

**. . .**

 

 

WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  
 **MONDAY.** —  **6:50 PM.**

  
  
 **THE NIGHT WELCOMED**  Nellie like a soothing embrace from an old friend as the lingering lilac of the afternoon sky dissolved into a shadow, surrendering to the gathering of darkness that cooled the air and awakened the crickets. The footpath beneath the sole of her scuffed up leather boots flowed through the sleepy town of Westchester like an endless river, bleeding through the streets, bleaching the sunburnt concrete in the slither of moonlight shining past the glow of the lamp posts and spilling onto the top of her hair and shoulders like molten silver.

Nellie had always found a comforting presence in the darkness. Walking the streets at night was soothing in the sense of how quiet it was, with the cool air on her skin, the chill wind taking strands of her hair and mercilessly making them into lashes that hipped at her face and blew above her head, and the lack of cars and people roaming about gave her a chance to finally breath in the clean, fresh air instead of the toxicity of a cwod and the plumes of smoke being coughed out of the exhaust of cars like a glob of saliva exiting the mouth and landing on the footpath.

 _Gunther's Hardware Store_  wasn't too far from the school, so it didn't take her that long to reach the small building that was wedged between the dustless antique store that was a minefield for Nellie as it was filled with delicate, breakable and handcrafted glass objects, and the second hand store where her mother used to treat it like a treasure trove whenever she had the chance. Big belly, yellow sundress, swollen feet, she'd waddle down the aisles, greeting the volunteers like old friends, scavenge through the abundance of racks and shelves, the hand-me-down clothes, the half broken toys, she'd always somehow find gold amongst the dirt. She'd even found Nellie a pair of dirty old converse sneakers.

There outside the store, she spotted the trio of misfits waiting, and much to her surprise, they were talking to each other, smiling and laughing, like nothing happened between them. Andy was threatening to hug Ava whilst she warned him with a stern glare to not come near her, Noah just watched the scene unfold with a small smile upon his face as Nellie crossed the street.

"Sorry, got held up by some Britney drama." Nellie explained with an exasperated sigh before they questioned her lateness. "Ready to head out?"

Upon her arrival, Noah stood up form his seat on the edge of the footpath where the cement connected to the asphalt road, and rubbed his hands on his black jeans to rid the dust before he gestured towards the direction of the store with the nod of his head, "I was thinking we should gear up before we go. That dirt monster that came after you could still be out there... plus who knows what else."

Nellie nodded once, "Good point... if Mr. Red is back, we should be ready for anything." She went on to say, and was about to say more until Ava held up her index finger to silence the group as she pressed her phone to her pierced ear.

"Yeah, I just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be late. Nellie and I are working on a project together and it's really..." Ava said into the phone, completely improvising on the spot, "No _dad._  And that was  _one time_ , by the way. Ugh, here, I'll prove it."

Nellie's eyes widened and she shook her head furiously in a panicked state as Ava shoved her phone towards her face with an expectant, desperate look in her eyes and a curt nod towards her phone as if they were sharing a telepathic conversation through their body movements.

She winced as she grasped the phone from her hands, sent a glare in Ava's direction, and pressed against her ear as she did her best impression of an intelligent student innocently doing a school project, rather than a bunch of idiots readying themselves to go into the woods, get their friend back, as well as kill a dirt monster. "Uh, hi, Mr. Cunningham... yeah it has been a long time. I'm glad we're talking again too. Okay. Thanks Mr. Cunningham. She won't be home too late, promise. Alright, bye." And with that, the line went dead, and she handed back the phone as if it burned her to touch.

"Sick. One call from you and I get to ditch curfew? I don't know what to do with all this power." Ava said with a wild grin and a mystical wiggle of her eyebrows and fingers.

"Maybe next time we can do something fun!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Movie, arcade, shopping. Basically anything other than wandering into the creepy woods at night."

With a clear of his throat, Noah cut into the conversation impatiently with a newfound feeling of tightness in his chest — something he's never felt before about anyone. Why was he being so weird? He quickly shook it off, "So... if that whole weird exchange is over, can we go buy some hardware?"

"Yeah, better be ready to defend ourselves from all those _spooooooky_ bushes." Andy mocked with his best impression of a ghostly voice.

"Very funny." Noah frowned with a hard set glare at the boy.

The four marched into the store with newfound purpose, and motivation as they settled into their searching. The store was brightly lit with shelves and racks stocked full of hardware items awaiting to be purchased — things her father would be interested in had he not given up on the yard like her mother did. Nellie watched on as her friends wandered off to browse the isles for anything useful for their monster hunting trip, but she paused when she noticed the familiar boy who looked like prince charming without the noble steed, standing behind the counter that he leaned against.

"You?!" She exclaimed, not intentionally meaning to sound so brash, but she was not expecting to see him. The same boy she saw in the black hot rod, with the black leather jacket.

Upon hearing her voice, he looked up from his phone, and smiled brightly at her in recognition, "Well, if it isn't the blast from the past! How's it going, Nellie Griffin?"

"Sounds like someone figured out how we know each other. Gonna let me in on the secret?"

"I  _could_ , but it's so much more fun to mess with you." He smirked, tucking a blonde lock behind his ears, "Here, I'll give you a hint. I figured out who you were when my sister mentioned that you helped her out at the pep rally this morning."

"At the pep rally... oh! You must be Stacy's brother!" Everything suddenly clicked into place. His blonde hair, sunkissed skin, green eyes. "You're Connor Green!"

"Right in one!" He said with a smile splitting across his face that resembled a crescent moon as he chuckled, "You always were the smartypants of that group."

It's ironic — or just a coincidence, that the sudden resurface of Redfield had led Nellie to reunite with her old friends. The one thing that tore them apart was the same thing that brought them back together again. She wasn't sure if she should be thankful or not to be standing in this store filled to the brim with tools, and mechanical items in front of Connor Green, with three of her other childhood friends — like old times, it felt like they were gearing up to find an imaginary beast like they did when they were little with spoons and mugs instead of screwdrivers and hammers.

"How have I never seen you here before?" Nellie went on to ask.

"Been travelling around a lot since high school. Spent this past summer crashing at my friend's place in Oakland. Figured I should be around for campaign season, though. Make sure mom and Stace don't murder each other."

"That's thoughtful of you. Are you happy to be home?"

"Sure, it's cool to see Stace and catch up with old friends. Can't say I missed mom and dad's lectures, though. Every time I go over there it's 'apply for college' this, and 'get a haircut' that." He said with a light laugh to disguise his bitter annoyance.

"Sounds terrible." Nellie grinned.

He shrugged, before leaning over the counter and moving a little closer to Nellie, "Anyways, what brings you to 'Gunther's Hardware, your local source for all things home improvement'?"

"Um, nothing in particular, I..." She trailed off when her light blue eyes landed on the wall behind his head where a crazy looking contraption hung there, suspended by hooks and planted against the wall, "What is that?!"

"Hmm? Oh, the pole saw?" He spun around and stood tall as he gently took the tool down from the hooks and placed it over the counter for Nellie to examine.

Before her eyes, the pole saw was quite the sight to behold. It was exactly what the name described. With a whipper snipper pole and handle attached to a chainsaw. She hefted it into her hands and was unable to suppress a almost sadistic grin at the solid weight. It was perfect and exactly what she needed if she was going to kill the dirt monster tonight, "This is awesome!"

"Perfect for pruning high-up branches. Or for fighting off zombies. Unfortunately, it's also just a display model. Should have them back in stock in a few days."

With her heart sinking, the wishful sparkle in her eye faded as she pursed her lips in disappointment — all the images of her swinging this weapon at the dirt monster swiveled and died as she reluctantly handed back the pole saw to Connor who then returned it back on the hooks on the wall display, "I guess I'll just look around, then."

"Sure thing. Just whistle if you need me."

Unbeknown to both Nellie and Connor, Noah was standing in a nearby isle, hands fiddling with random items as he eavesdropped on their conversation, only momentarily, he wasn't trying to be creepy. But he couldn't help the pang of jealousy that spread across his chest like a virus at the sight of her laughing at his jokes. They were too close for his taste. She was laughing at his jokes, and she seemed to almost beam with a grin that rivalled the sun on a hot day. Why can't she look at him like that?

Due to his own personal issues revolving around his childhood, he's never had the right mindset to be with anyone in that way — why was he suddenly feeling the tightness, and the tingles sprouting within him just because he wasn't the one making Nellie laugh?

He mentally slapped himself at how ridiculous he was acting. He's just a retail worker, being friendly because that's a part of his job, and Nellie — well, she's gorgeous, she's funny, she's had a great personality — of course she'd have a few fans, it shouldn't be a surprise, and he shouldn't be jealous just because some guy made her laugh.

Noah watched on mutely as she turned away from the counter and wandered towards the narrow aisles while he turned back to a piece of duct tape in his hand with a sigh.

"Hey, Nellie! Think I can lift this over my head?" Andy called out when she came into his line of vision. Turning her head at his voice, she cocked an eyebrow questionably at him when caught the boy holding a large bag of dry cement within his arms.

"I think you can  _definitely_  lift that. Come on, Mr. Kang! Let's see what you've got!"

She watched on in amusement as the veins in Andy's arms pushed themselves to the surface when he lightly strained in hoisting the bag to his chest before pushing it up over his head. Successfully doing so, he let out a cheerful yell while Nellie laughed and clapped her hands in an applause as Andy did the same motion a couple more times before setting it down on the floor.

"Damn, Andy. You're a beast! Just try not to wear yourself out before we even get to the woods."

"Pfft, I'm just getting warmed up."

"Right." She scoffed with a playful roll of her eyes as she headed off to check out the other aisles just as the boy started doing curls with a coiled-up garden hose. At the back of the store, she spotted Noah's telltale mop of brown hair and the blue beanie sitting atop the chaos, browsing the shelves, eyes scanning over the items in vague interest as she made her way over.

At the sight of her leather boots stopping in front of his vision, he glanced up, expression unreadable, before he turned back to the label he was reading as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, "Have fun chatting up the counter boy?" He commented, eyes widening slightly when he realised what he said, but he quickly covered it up by pretending to be busy reading the items.

A bit taken aback, Nellie's jaw dropped at his sudden hostility, eyes trailing over his frowning expression, pursed lips, and the lines adorning his pale forehead. She chuckled bitterly with a slight scoff as she turned to the shelves, plucking out a random item that happened to be a paint brush. "That's Connor Green. You know, Stacy's older brother? We used to play with him when we were kids."

He raised his brows at her before his eyes fell back on the blonde behind the counter as if he was trying to recognise him, "Oh, really? Uh, didn't realise you guys were so _close_."

Rolling her eyes, she let out a small laugh that only just soften Noah's eyes, "We aren't  _'close'_ if that's what you're getting at. I only just spoke to him today. Didn't know he was back in town."

He grunted in response, ending the conversation by turning back to the items, but he doesn't move away from her, not when her rosy perfume and the vanilla shampoo she used was overriding all his senses and all he could see was her. But now he felt nervous, especially now that her presence was a little more obvious than it used to be. Every thought he had about her, especially the ones where he was up all night, tossing and turning, or the little crush he had on her when he was a kid — all those childish thoughts and feelings he thought he shoved down deep, had crawled back from the depths with a vengeance.

Her light blue eyes trailed over his face, examining the micro-facial expressions he was making under her inspecting eyes, before a large knowing and sly grin stretched across her features, "Wait... are you... are you jealous?

"What?!" His eyes bulged slightly, and a red hot tinge flew to his cheeks as he turned towards her with a stern shake of his head, "No! What? Why would I be jealous?"

She belted out a laugh at his feign attempt at ignorance. "Oh, you're not hiding it very well."

"There's nothing  _to_ hide. I'm  _not_  jealous."

With a little smirk and a tinge of confidence, the wasps in her stomach prickled and stung at her insides knowing she managed to make Noah flustered, knowing that Noah was hiding his jealousy — god, it felt good. "If you say so, Noah." She dropped the subject anyways, not wanting to frustrate him, "So, did you find anything useful?"

He shrugged, "Not unless you wanna go after Mr. Red with a bunch of tape and twine." His mouth twitched with the urge to fight a smile when she let out a little half-hearted laugh at his comment. A surge of confidence erupted in him when she laughed at his joke. She moved beside him, closer now, their elbows bumped into each other as her eyes scanned the shelves, and her hands reached out to rummage.

"I don't know how you can be so calm. I'm on the verge of a breakdown over here." She admitted with an uncharastically soft voice. They locked eyes momentarily before it became too much and they returned back to the shelves.

"Calm isn't the word I'd use. I just... I have to know." She paused when he paused, turning to him with barely hidden sadness laced in her eyes. He sighed, pressing the heel of his hand against his eyes, rubbing, as if that would erase all the memories. "This has been haunting me for years, Nellie. What we did... what  _he_  did."

Nellie was suddenly hit with a crashing wave of a vibrant memory of the little girl with the fiery hair and the equally fiery temperature — the one she had once called her best friend, calling out her name like a ghost in the wind. She sighed, eyes now glossy with unshed tears, before she looked down at his shaking hands that were clenched into fists, "Yeah... me too."

Noah's teeth were clenched too, just as tightly as his fists as he tried to will the memory away but his teeth and jaw immediately went slack when the first touch of her soft, slightly sweaty hand brushed against his own, and then his whole body ignited in tingles when she softly grasped his, lacing her slender fingers with his own, filling in the gaps. He did it back, squeezing it just a little. His heart was pounding in his ears, and so was Nellie's, but with a shaky breath she looked up at him, and nodded for him to continue.

"Mom blames me, you know. For Jane... and for dad leaving right after."

She squeezed his hand, "I'm sure that's not true."

"It is. She said it to my face. Regularly, actually." He replied, looking into her sympathetic eyes until he couldn't bare to look at them anymore without feeling that familiar ache in his throat when he was trying not to cry.

"Noah, I'm so sorry..."

He shrugged carelessly at her response, trying to act like it didn't affect him, but she could tell by the way his voice was getting wobblier by the second, and by the way he kept blinking and looking away with a subtle sniffle, that he was really trying his hardest not to break in front her, no matter how much he wanted to just sob, and wail — but with an audience wasn't something he was used to. "The worst is that... this sounds lame as hell, but the day I lost my sister, I lost my  _whole_  family, my mom, my friends...  _you_."

Her lips trembled as she tried to smile at him, cocking her head lightly as she wiped at her tears, "Noah, I messed up badly by leaving you the way I did. Trust me, I beat myself up for it everyday, but I can't change what I did. But I'm here for you now, okay?" She squeezed his hand, "And I always will be."

A lone tear slipped out of his eyes as he tried to bite back a smile, but it escaped from its prison between his teeth, and he let out a laugh, and wiped at the tear, squeezing her hand back, "That's corny. Also, not true."

"Trying to have a moment here, Noah." She chuckled before sighing lightly, "I never wanted all of us to fall apart. I hope it's not too late for us to come back together."

Noah shrugged indifferently, but Nellie definitely saw the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth at her response, "Anything's possible."

Her small smile faded suddenly when her eyes fell on their intertwined hands. She rubbed her thumb over his affectionately, "I wish things were different..."

"Yeah. Me too."

The two continued to browse the aisle in silence, hand-still-in-hand. Nellie was beginning to wonder if Noah genuinely wanted to hold her hand or if he was only holding it because she wanted him too. It felt nice...  _normal._ She had never been the type to be so bold, yet here she was.

"You, lovebirds, ready to have your mind blown?" Ava called out. Quickly, their hands were pulled away and shoved into the pockets of their jackets like nothing happened, when they glanced up to find both Ava and Andy standing there with a baseball bat in one hand and a garland of barbed wire in the other.

" _Someone's_  been playing too many zombie shooters." Andy humoured with playful narrowed eyes.

"Ignore this philistine. He's just jealous of how totally badass you'll look swinging this around." She grinned.

Nellie couldn't help but beam at the gothic teenager. Everything else within this store couldn't be classified as a weapon beside that pole saw — she didn't even think about combining two things into one. "Niiiice. It clobbers, it shreds, it bashes in dirt monsters brains."

"Damn..." Noah said from beside her, eyes trailing over the weapon with an impressed look, "Yeah, that'll work. You gonna get it?"

"Hell yeah I'm getting it."

"A bat like  _that_  has to have a name." Ava suggested.

"I'll name it... Lucille."

"Lucille? I like it." Ava nodded in approval.

Nodding happily with her chosen name, she turned to the group, "We all done here?"

"Yeah..." Noah mumbled, causing Nellie to turn to check up on him. He was loitering next to a shelf filled with flashlights, his fingers were wrapped around one as he examined it.

"Do you wanna get something?" She questioned, taking the necessary steps to where he was standing.

"Guess I was just thinking about how dark it's gonna be in there. I don't love the idea of something sneaking up on us..." He turned to show her a heavy duty flashlight in his boney grip, before he practised a few good wacks against the air with it, swinging it roughly downwards before glancing back up at her with a beaming smile, "This one could even double as a club!"

A beaming that smile that soon subsided when his eyes fell on the price tag, and with a flinch that shook his entire features, he placed it back on the shelf, "Uh, nevermind. I'll be fine."

She giggled lightly at his reaction before picking up the flashlight and pressing it back into his hands, "I've got this. Call it an early birthday gift."

"Seriously? Thanks, Nellie!"

"Don't mention it." She grinned, before gesturing for him to follow to the front of the store for Connor to ring them up. The blonde watched on with a mix of concern and confusion as she plopped all their findings onto the counter before him, and when she looked up she spotted his expression and a small laugh flowed out as he scanned the items.

A garland of barbed wire, a baseball bat and a flashlight was definitely an odd combination.

**...**

 


	17. twelve

**012\. BASHING SKULLS AND TAKING NAMES**  
 **(** chapter twelve ** _!_** **)**

**...**

 

 

WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  
 **MONDAY.—7:12 PM.**  
  
  


 **THE ATMOSPHERE OF** which surrounded them in the safety net of Andy's sleek black car, was void of conversation, the type of atmosphere that's almost suffocating if they could even have the nerve to suck in a breath. Their tense limbs shook in hopes of suppressing their surefire nerves, shaking them out of its stupor, as the car rolled along the black tar road towards the woods that appeared friendly in the light of day but appeared more like the wolves den in the dead of night. They slipped away from the safety of neverending bright lights, crawling deeper to where the darkness dwells — closer to where Nellie's house was on the outskirts, and she had always known just how creepy the woods were, but she underestimated the utter foreboding blackness that swelled from the area.

It was only moments in Nellie's musings when Andy parked the car at the edge of the long stretch of driveway connecting to her house, and when they hesitantly crawled out of the car, Nellie was immediately engulfed with the wind that carried the scent of woodland, musty leaves, damp soil — an essense of her childhood days while the woods loomed above them, staring down at them like they were prey in the trap of a beast, hungry and ravenous. The moonlight fought to be seen through the canopy of trees, and even the light emitting from Noah's flashlight was nearly being swallowed by the darkness.

She stood there, at the edge of the woods, the treeline acting like a barrier between safety and danger immediately being blanketed with the icy feeling of a sharp claw running up and down her spine, but she took it in like an old friend — all the memories that were shared within the walls of those trees, all the tragedy.

With the bare branches spiking into the sky with no sign of life, even the ambience that Nellie loved so much had been robbed. Her mouth went dry as she peered into the abyss, at her side was Noah, and in her hand was the wooden baseball bat, wrapped in the deadly barbed wire, ready for any skull to be latched on to should they cause harm.

The whole entire atmosphere among them generated a certain fear — a fear that something was watching them, and wanted them to stay away, and if Nellie had the choice, she'd listen.

Taking a deep breath, Nellie gave a couple of experimental swings with her bat as if she was about to hit a home run, "Alright, now I'm ready for anything."

"Let me know if you need someone to hold your hand." Andy mocked, remembering the sight of Nellie's and Noah's hands intertwined back at the store. He eyed Noah with a smirk playing on his lips, before sending a wink at Nellie's direction — in response, Noah sneered, eyes falling on Andy's back as he confidently stepped across the borderline of the seen and unseen, and strided into the dense trees.

"Here's hoping we don't get eaten, possessed, or maimed." Ava commented light-heartedly as she kept her cool, but Nellie definitely caught the uncomfortable, hesitant shift in her eyes as she regarded the dark trees that stood tall like giant guards linked arm-in-arm. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she hurriedly followed after Andy, leaving Noah and Nellie to be the last to enter.

Being close to the woods didn't exactly make her feel confident. It's hard to imagine hundreds of years ago, people would walk through the woods with a burning torch to guide the way, it's no wonder humans feared the dark so much — imagination was always the worse when it came to it. And here she stood, with her eyes staring at the cleavage of woods like it was a challenge to step over the line. She hadn't even ventured inside the woods since she was a kid, and thought of being so close it made her want to throw up her lunch. She wondered how Noah was coping with all of this.

A crow perched on a nearby skeletal branch cried out into the chill wind as it watched her with its glossy black eyes, the sound was deafening in the still night. Any other time, this silence would be calming, tranquil — but the silence from the woods resembled a graveyard.

"You coming or what?" Those four words. They weren't comforting words, but they were his words and they ripped through her paranoia when her flickered from the trees to him. He could sense her hesitation, and all she wondered was how he was so calm when the woods held an omen that had killed his little sister. He gestured for her to follow with a wave of his hand, and slowly but surely, she regained back control over her body and quickly trailed behind him.

"At least we can see where we're going..." She commented as the beam of light from his torch brightly illuminated the path in front him that soon would become swallowed by the darkness, but she followed him for his sake. She'd follow him to the ends of the earth if it meant they'd somehow find answers for Redfield, and the death surrounding Jane.

And so her feet followed the narrow strip of earth among the giant roots of trees brightened by the object in his hand, overwhelmed by the blanket of darkness that nurtured a sense of claustrophobia within her, heightening her senses. She could feel eyes on her at every angle, could hear the chill breath of a beast brushing against her sweating skin, she could smell the pungent scent of decomposing leaves. She instinctively moved closer to Noah, and let her hands touch at his skin, so she could feel something other than the overwhelming fear, and instead feel his presence as a comfort. Noticing this, he reached out his hand behind him in a 'come here' motion to which she quickly grasped a his hand, tightly.

She caught the little smile appearing on his lips as he squeezed her hand, a gesture she's beginning to think of as their own way of saying,  _'i'm here.'_

"Well, this place is as creepy as ever." He commented, glancing up at the canopy of dark tresses above them that the moonlight struggled to filter itself through.

"I don't know. It feels almost like... home." She whispered. In an odd why it did. Home in the way it was so familiar, home in the way that it really reminded her of their childhood — her musings were cut short when a faint familiar whistling sound was carried among with the cool wind. Her head snapped away from him, pausing in her steps as her heart raced against the bones of her rib cage at the familiarity — her hand slipped out of his and her feet carried her away.

"Nellie? Where are you going?" Noah anxiously called out from behind her.

Without even turning she said, "You don't hear that? It's coming from this way..."

She followed after the noise, venturing deeper into the woods without no light to lead the way, only using her hearing senses to guide her through the blinding darkness but given the ears of a wolf, as her hands reached out to graze against the rough bark, but with the sound of Noah's scuffed up converse shoes followed by the bright light of his flashlight, she realised he didn't want either of them to be alone.

They walked in relative silence until Nellie stopped, causing Noah to stop. Her light eyes trailed across the base of an old, old and twisted oak tree tree, brightened by Noah's flashlight. The trunk had chaotic patterns etched into its bark, with branches stretched far apart, dipping into other tree spaces, with roots that stretched along the ground beneath her feet.

The etchings were something she remembered perfectly. Ten years ago — they carved their names into this very tree using a sharp ended stick. A _VA, LUCAS, LILY, ANDY, NELLIE, STACY, NOAH & JANE BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. _And with trembling hands and watery eyes, her hands reached out when she spotted something dangling from the lowest tree branch, swaying in the muted wind... to which her heart stopped, and her throat choked up when she realised what it was. She plucked it form the branch as Noah appeared at her side, flashing his light on her hand with a frown.

Jane's whistle. The very same whistle Nellie had given to her on her birthday, the same whistle she had before she died. The only piece of Jane's childhood that remained — a memory of what was left of her. Its tarnished surface was rusted and caked in dirt from the years it had been rotting, but yet, it still gleamed under the light of Noah's flashlight in her hands.

"Is that..." Noah choked out.

"I thought it was lost." She replied simply, voice soft and small. She turned the whistle over in her hand to examine it further and sighed sadly just as Ava and Andy jogged over.

"Whoa, where'd that come from?" Andy asked, peering into the palm of her hand.

"Weird." Ava mumbled.

"It was her birthday present. If she ever got in trouble all she had to do was blow on it, and... and..." Nellie's watery voice trailed off as she clenched the whistle tightly in her hand, forcing herself not to cry.

"You hear that?"

Everyone stopped what they doing, stopped moving, stopped breathing. Nellie closed her eyes, and clenched her jaw as if that would help her hear clearer as she strained herself into not making a single sound. The wind died down, and at first she didn't hear anything other than the trees softly swaying in the wind, and the leaves swirling around on the forest floor, but something else was moving too.

Cold sweat pooled around Nellie's neck as the sudden feeling of dread ripped through her stomach with sharp claws. The sound of footsteps, despite no one moving, something heavy and menacing was tainting the air with an omen, causing it to be too thick to swallow.

"I think something's coming. I don't know what it is... but be ready." She warned.

A shockwave of fear melted throughout her being when she felt a hand reach out to grab a hold of her forearm, and before she could release a yelp at the sudden touch, Noah's spare hand clasped over her mouth to keep her quiet, "Don't... move..." He quietly hissed through clenched teeth.

She felt paralysed to the spot as if rigor mortis had set in, cementing her feet to the ground beneath her. She clenched the whistle in her hand tightly as her eyes stared into Noah's penetrating ones until she followed his petrified gaze like a beam of light.

Eyes doubling in size, she watched in mute horror as twenty feet down the path, ignited in the beam of Noah's flashlight was something only a nightmare could conjure up. A grotesque creature the size of a dog, built in a tangle of twisted vines and bone instead of flesh and blood stood there. Mossy green was growing on the back of its skeletal body, showcasing its rib cage and leg bones but instead of eyes there were little pits of embers burning there instead.

It growled lowly, like an animal, and every bone in Nellie's body begged her to run.

"That's not a dirt monster." Noah murmured quietly.

"That's a skeleton. A  _walking_  skeleton." Ava whispered.

"Oh hell no. I did not sign up for this." Andy added.

The creature advanced towards the teenagers, viciously snarling and growling as a great glob of sticky mucus dripped from its skeletal jaw with its rows of sharp teeth.

"Nellie, wh—what do we do?" Noah stammered, hand still holding onto her forearm, but before she could make up any logical plans, the creature lunged forward, barking loudly, and almost snapping its jaw as it bolted towards them.

"RUN!" She shouted the only word that her brain kept begging for her to do. She spun around, and bolted back into the trees, almost narrowly missing sliding along the damp leaves on the ground, followed by the teenagers as they crashed through branches and undergrowth, completely hauling ass to avoid being that creature's meal.

The world around them dimmed into a blur as they made a mad dash to safety, forming into a single-file-line to avoid getting seperated. Nellie's lungs burned with each intake of cold breath that shocked her to the core, her legs and arms were pumping, propelling her to run faster. A fallen tree came into view, and skillfully, Nellie leaped over it and landed swiftly on her feet, and continued to run just a little further down the path until she paused abruptly, causing the rest of the group to tumble to a halt, narrowly missing knocking each other over.

A hulking shape loomed in front of her with a physique that was hardly distinguishable through the misty fog, until it cleared out, and a gasp escaped her lips at the sight of the ungodly creature. It was just like the smaller one she saw before, only this time, the creature was larger, with sharp bones protruding out of its back like an armour plate, and with a click of its mandibles, yellow gunk oozed from the crevices between its sharp teeth.

Without wasting a second, Nellie quickly made a sharp left, reaching to grab whoever was behind her and launching them beside her so they were running at her speed, followed by the rest of them who followed suite. It happened to be Ava who she grabbed, and she clung onto Nellie's arm like a vine, sharp black painted nails digging into her skin. The creature howled like a demonic walk, as it fell beside the first small creature, skeletal bones clicking together as they ran.

"Nellie, we need to turn around! We're heading straight for the ruins!" Noah called out from beside Andy.

"Crap, you're right! Come on—" Nellie was cut off by her own scream when she moved to the right, and one of the creatures surged forward, forcing her back on the path with a threatening snarl. "I think they're  _herding_  us! They  _want_  us to go to the ruins!"

"And they  _don't_  want us to find, Dan!" Noah concluded.

Throwing herself forward with even greater abandon, she quickly glanced around, watching as one of the creature trailed closer behind her, forcing her into going forward, while the other stuck close to her right. Her eyes darted between the two of them as she thought of a plan. To the left was trees, in front of her was the ruins, but to her right, there was a thick bush.  "Alright, on my signal..." She announced, "We'll go right. They obviously don't want us to go that way."

Smiling a little through the chaos, Noah replied, "So that's where we need to go."

"Ready...  _now!_ "

Steeling herself, she made a sharp sudden turn to the right, dodging the mossy creatures by leaping over them and skidding past them, only narrowly missing their snapping jaws latching around her ankles, as she passed them before she immediately brung her arms up to cover her face as she crashed through the thick wall of bushes and landed into a large patch of quiet, moonlit clearing with only a lone tree stump centred in the middle of the field.

Nellie doubled over, panting heavily and quickly as she tried to catch her breath just as her friends skidded to a halt beside her. "Yo, we've gotta keep moving. Those freaky skeleton things are right behind us!" Andy called out, not even breaking a sweat from his running.

Taking in a large gulp of breath, Noah stood upright, "We need to find, Dan,  _fast_. What if those things are after him too?"

"Yeah, about that..." Ava trailed, dark eyes falling on yet another skeletal creature across the clearing, distracted as it crouched over a stille figure lying in the dirt with its back pressed against the tree stump.

"Oh my god." Nellie exclaimed, "Dan?!"

"Hey! Get away from him!" Noah belted out at the vine creature, but all they could do was watch as the creature let go of Dan's leg and lifted its head with a snarl.

Multiple skeletal creatures began to crawl out of the fog, flanking them from all sides, and suddenly the woods were alive with burning ember eyes and sharp glinting teeth as they stare them down with hungry and predatory eyes. They were completely and pathetically outnumbered. By her side, she clenched Lucille tightly, bringing it up like a batter preparing themselves for a homerun as the barbed wire teeth glittered in the moonlight.

"Get ready..." She ordered through gritted teeth, "We can't let them take Dan."

"This is not the way I thought today was going to go..." Andy admitted, grinning wickedly at Nellie before cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders and neck, before bouncing on the balls of his feet — adrenaline still alive and well in his body, "But hey, beats homework."

Nellie chuckled lightly, all things considering, "Guess so."

To their surprise, Ava swooped down to pull a long military knife out of her black combat boots before rising — a knife with a cool, sharp six inch blade, with a leather handle — all of which caused a flutter of cries from the teenagers surrounding her.

"What the — where'd that come from?!" Noah questioned, both amazed and confused.

"Given the knives at school are an expulsion-level offense, let's just say 'the hardware store'."

Nellie wanted to question her more — the girl was an enigma with all sorts of mysteries she wanted to discover, but right now wasn't the time and she was just glad she's here. "Glad you came prepared," She said, before glancing at Noah.

With pale knuckles whitened around the tight grip of his flashlight, and a sure stance and determined look, he nodded, "I'm ready."

"Then let's do this." With an opportunity to use a hero quote before a battle, she took a deep breath and yelled, "WITNESS ME!"

At the sound of her cry, hell broke loose in the silent woods — a war had been waged.

The vine creatures sprung into action, charging at them from all sides as they howled into the night air, legs clicking the more they come closer. As one bolted towards Nellie with its snapping discoloured fangs, she clenched the bat tightly in her hands and with every ounce of strength she had within her, she swung the bat hard against its rib cage, sending it flying across the clearing with a rain of bones fluttering in the air.

Next, a large vine creature bounded over. It halted in front of her, snarling with a wide opened jaw, ready to snap its sharp teeth over bones, but before it could do so, she smashed the bat into its maw, watching in satisfaction as chunks of bone and vine exploded in all directions before it dropped to the ground with its ember eyes dimming.

In the midst of her glory, a string of curses unraveled from her tongue as she was knocked over by one of the creatures slamming itself into her abdomen, sending her sailing towards the ground with a grunt. She let out a scream when the creature pounced on top of her, powerful jaws snapping just inches away from her nose as its phlegm like yellow mucus dripped onto her skin — she felt to her stomach at the feeling. She strained to kick it off, legs kicking wildly, hands gripping at the sides of his rib cage.

Thankfully, Andy quickly made a beeline towards her, grabbing the exposed bones of its spine and hoisting it into the air and slamming it against a tree continuously until its dry bones scattered across the ground before it fell in a twitching heap. "Woo! Three points!" He cheered, helping her to her feet, "You good?" She nodded, not wanting to open her mouth when there was yellow gunk on her face that she quickly wiped off with the bottom of her shirt in disgust. "We've got the monsters covered, see if you can get to Dan!"

Nodding quickly, she broke into a sprint to where Dan lied unconscious, only skidding to a stop when a single creature advanced on him, leafy hackles rising as she moved between the prey and the beast. "Get the hell away from him!" She screamed, rage burning deep in her voice — snake-like vines spread outwards from the creature's back whipping past her in lightning speed to wrap around Dan's leg, it dragged his limp body towards the trees like he weighed nothing, "NO!"

She leaped up, grabbing a hold on Dan's wrist, and digging the heels of her boots into the earth in hopes of grounding herself as they play a grim game of tug-or-war over the boy's body. She prayed he wouldn't get hurt in the process.

"Hold still." Ava casually said, causing a flush of relief to wash over Nellie. She stepped forward and effortlessly sliced her knife through the thick vine, continuously doing so until she reached the final vine, and Dan was sliced free. The creature growled animalistically, but Ava only growled back, flipping it off as Nellie and Dan crashed to the ground.

Holding tightly onto Dan's limp body, she watched as Ava stabbed her knife into it again and again until nothing but a pile of shredded bones and vines were left behind. Chest rising and falling with each passing breath, Nellie raised her brows at her, "Damn, Ava."

"I may have some anger to work out."

A breathless chuckle of amazement left her lips until her eyes fell onto the disembodied skull at her feet, twitching. With curious eyes, she kept watching it as vines writhed toward the other parts of its body in an attempt to form itself together again. Nellie groaned in annoyance and exhaustion as the creature built itself back together, and with the remaining strength she had left, she shoved Dan's body away from her from her sitting form, leaped up, and swung the bat down as hard as she could, smashing it against the crown of its skull and splitting it in two. "Regenerate  _that_."

Nearby, however, Noah swung his flashlight at the last remaining creature, hitting it square in the jaw, but as it went down, he didn't stop. Letting loose of all his frustrations, he wailed upon it repeatedly, arms swinging downwards til the creature was just a pile of rubble, and even then he didn't stop — not until Nellie hurried over. "I'm sick... of these freaking... woods!" He yelled into the air, his voice echoed through the trees.

Nellie reached him quickly, hands resting on his shoulder as they both watch the creature give one last final twitch before going limp. "Come on, Noah." She whispered, exhaustion eating at her as all the adrenaline was promptly sucked out of her. He doubled over, pressing his hands to his knees, and breathed in heavily to catch his breath whilst Nellie watched on.

"That's right, you stay down." He growled, spitting at the mess of tangled bones at his feet.

And suddenly, just like that, everything fell silent. No more grunts of overexertion from hitting creatures, no more snarling and growling, no more screaming. The clearing was swept with stillness and for once, nothing wanted to crawl out of the fog and kill them. "We're... okay?" Nellie breathed out questioningly as if she wanted confirmation.

"Don't know if I'd go  _that_ far. I mean, we just got attacked by zombie plant skeletons." Andy said with a frown, while Ava gave the pile of bones one final stomp for good measure.

"I'm good." She grunted.

"I'm fine. It's  _him_  I'm worried about." Noah pointed to the unconscious body of Dan, laying in the same position where Nellie left him.

She immediately scrambled towards the limp boy and knelt down beside him, gently moving his head to support it on her lap. God, he looked awful. Just like he did in her dream, muddy jumper, gaunt face, frail, small, dirty and malnourished. How long had he been here without them knowing? She brushed the dirt, grime and blood away from his filthy face, and plucked the leaves out his unruly mess of brown hair, and sighed sadly at his peacefully unaware expression. He looked halfway dead, and that something that terrified her.

"He's breathing, but, god, he looks terrible." She announced, running her fingers gently through his short mop of hair in a soothing manner, nails softly scratching at his scalp, "Dan? Dan, buddy, you gotta wake up, okay?"

As if her words were magic, a tired moan softly escaped his bruised and chapped lips, and then his eyes slowly twitched and fluttered open, glazed over with a mixture of agony and exhaustion.

"Dan?!" She exclaimed, not expecting him to come out of a comatose state so suddenly, "What happened to you?"

But, Dan didn't seem as awake as she thought. His eyes seemed to sweet past her as he opened his mouth, mumbling something softly that it was hard to hear unless she strained, "Came... came to find... to see..."

What? What did you come to find?" She prompted.

Her heart lurched when the boy grabbed a hold of the collar of her drawstring jacket and yanked her towards him with surprising strength. His eyes suddenly clear from the fog of exhaustion, they stared deadly into hers, "Why? Why did you come, Nellie?"

"What? We had to! We couldn't leave you out here!"

"You shouldn't have come." He pulled her closer, lips pressed against her ear, and voice lowering into a terrifying hiss, "Now...  _he can leave."_

And with that, the hands that gripped at Nellie's jacket went limp, and Nellie fell backwards, immediately scrambling away from him as she choked on a sob. A pair of arms wrapped themselves under her armpits and lifted her up to her feet, and she held tightly onto their arms as her legs felt like jelly, "No..."

"Nellie?! What is it? What did he say?" Noah's voice was heard, but only faintly in the back of her mind — she couldn't hear anything but her blood rushing to her ears and a buzzing sound. She shook her head vigorously unable to say a word as the words she wanted to spill were being jumbled together as she stared Dan's closed eyes... and with a final sigh, she realised he was gone again.

**...**

 


	18. act four

 

 

 

you didn't  
even try  
to save   
me

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 4.**  ❛ WHAT'S COMING TO YOU. ❜

**'THE FOREST HIDES STRANGE CREATURES.'**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

**//**

chapter thirteen ****— 013. STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED  
**** chapter fourteen  ** **— 014. 'DAN WAS HERE'  
**** chapter fifteen ** **— 015. THE THEATRICS OF AN OLD LIBRARY & OTHER STRANGE THINGS  
****chapter sixteen **— 016. LIONS AND TIGERS, AND BEARS. OH MY!**

****//** **


	19. thirteen

**013\. STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED**  
 **(** chapter thirteen _!_ **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**TUESDAY. — 9:04 AM.** **

 

****AVA  
** **

**AVA CUNNINGHAM AWAKENED**  just as annoyed as the last.

As the night before wore on, she found herself rolling around her bed in a restless state with the blankets that had once laid neatly beneath her now being tangled up in a mess of sheets when she awakened. She went through the motions of deep breathing, and counting sheep but to no avail, sleep didn't come to her, and then she considered taking some of her father's sleeping pills — maybe that would work, but a part of her knew her father would find out. He's a police officer after all, he always knew or found out one way or another.

She faced the darker side of the room — her wall, and with the blinds thrown shut, no light could shine through, but even the smallest of light that came underneath her bedroom door from the hallway leading to the lounge room had irritated her to no end.

She knew why she couldn't get any sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, visions would be shown on the back of her eyelids like a long, repeated advertisement — like a continuous echoes, the sights, sounds and smells, everything that had happened the night before. Fighting the macabre vine creatures, and narrowly missing becoming their food, and then finding Dan's practically lifeless body laying amongst the chaos.

It was too much to handle, too much for her take in. The fear, the adrenaline, the relief, and the heartbreak. All of which made her chest ache, and her eyes burn. The only question on the tip of her tongue she had was, 'what the hell was in those woods?'. She had never seen those creatures when she was younger — not when the group of kids were playing with Redfield and not in the decade they had apart.

She had tried to avoid thinking about it for most of the time when she entered through the front door of her and her father's shared house — she wandered into the living room where she spotted him in his favorite chair, and he immediately started asking questions about what happened at Nellie's house, just as she expected. She had lied straight to his face, something she's done plenty but it doesn't make her ache any less. She kept her face straight and words just fell out. He was a cop, he knew how to pry answers out of suspecting people, but when living with a cop all her life, she knew how to lie professionally.

Needless to say, the teenager didn't get much sleep, if any at all — because after a tortured eternity of laying in her bed, in shorts spurs of sleep, and longer spurs of thinking, the room began to get lighter, the birds started to sing their song. She threw back her covers in an irritated fit and stumbled out.

She gave herself a moment to shed the sleep from her vision, but no matter how hard she wiped at her eyes with her knuckle, it didn't rid the incessant visions strewn across her brain in a form of dreams and overbearing thoughts.

Nevertheless, in her exhausted state, she went through her daily ritual — showering, getting dressed in her usual attire, thick, black combat boots, fishnet stockings in anything black or skull related — she had opted to skip out on breakfast to avoid her father, and the tinge of guilt she felt for lying to him, and she slipped out the door with a short bid of farewell, making her way to the soul-sucking hellscape of highschool.

It's funny, Ava might as well have a giant target painted on her body because the amount of eyes that fall on her as soon as she would enter the school yard was nauseating. She had went through many years of trial and error when figuring out what she liked, and who she was, and even if she acted as though their words don't hurt, or don't itch at her skin, she did find herself dreading their judgemental stares and their whispered insults into their friends ears, behind closed hands, but when you've been judged for the colour of your skin, the hand you wish to hold, or what clothes you like to wear, you get used to it — Ava very much was.

She's black — people either want to sexualise her due to her race, or they just want to harass her for no other reason than her having a darker melanin to her skin. Not to mention the amount of times people have felt uncomfortable around her due to that fact — all due to the stereotypes that came along with it. She also liked to wear black, and suddenly the world thought she may as well be a devil worshipping witch instead of just an ordinary teenage girl who likes the colour and how it looked on her.

Hundreds of years ago women would be burned at the stake for being different than the average woman, and Ava had humorlessly thought that if witch trials still happened today, she'd be burned at the stake too.

So when she begrudgingly wandered into the school halls, picking at her chipped black painted nails to avoid their stares, she really wasn't surprised to find Jocelyn Wu already standing there, resting against her locker, and waiting for her arrival as if she were an eager child awaiting her parents return from grocery shopping.

It didn't take long for her to notice Ava approaching. She turned, dark almond shaped eyes noticing the black immediately, she pointed her perfectly manicured finger at her but Ava only stared back with raised eyebrows, "Ooh, look! It's Ava the Witch!"

"Please. Stop. Every time you use that extremely clever nickname, it just gets more hurtful." She replied, voice all monotone, and a hand pressed against her chest for extra measure as if her words shot her to the heart.

"Um, it's  _supposed_ to be hurtful. That's why I'm using it idiot."

"Wow. Just when I think I've got you figured out, you dazzle me with new depths of cunning." Rolling her hazel eyes at Jocelyn's confused expression, Ava heaved a sigh of annoyance, and unkindly nudged her out of the way with her elbow. She began to spin the dial of her locker, acutely aware of Jocelyn still standing beside her without a plan of leaving her alone, so she turned to her with a disguised sneer hidden behind pursed lips, "Did you like...  _want_  something, or if this just a random mock and walk?"

"Just wanted to check up on you. I hear you tried to visit Dan in the hospital."

Ava raised an eyebrow skeptically at her due to the apparent concern, "This is a true fact..."

But yes after the events of last night, when all those vine creature's had been savagely brutalised by the group of teenagers, both Noah and Andy helped carry Dan's lifeless body back to Nellie's house which wasn't too far from the woods, whilst Ava and Nellie navigated them through the dark with the use of Noah's flashlight. They were far too much in shock to even talk at this point, it was definitely a lot to take in, with their minds reeling with the  _'what the hell just happened'_ question as they trudged back to the living.

Ava was tempted to stay the night, since Nellie sure gave a good proposition for the lot of them, a night of movies, popcorn, and a living room with a nice comfy couch, her parent's bedroom, and hers they could choose to sleep in, just like old times, and to just relax after the entire ordeal they just experienced — however, Ava knew her father wouldn't be too happy if she stayed out any later than what she had promised him, and luckily Andy had offered her and Noah and ride home before the ambulance and the police arrived at Nellie's place. She wanted to get home before her father was called up to her place knowing how suspicious it was — and still  _was._ Noah stayed behind, though, offering Nellie the moral support she needed as they explained the situation to the officers — save for the vine creatures.

They wouldn't believe that.

" _Wow._  So you're, like, totally obsessed with him." Jocelyn replied, causing Ava to scowl at her comment. But not entirely surprised.

Dan had been rolling with the popular kids just as long as Stacy was. He was the star quarterback after all, so of course he was a popular guy, with pretty girls lining up for him, while other guys were just jealous of how many girls he did or did not get him — they were all rumours, allegedly. So, Ava being a social reject, would by default, be a death sentence to his social hierarchy if they were seen together.

Hell, even if Ava saved him from a burning fire, or took a bullet for him, still would he be mocked just for being around her.

"Not exactly your business but... I'm a human being with empathy. It's a curse but I try to stay positive." She forced a tight lipped smile, "That was sarcasm, by the way."

"I  _know_ what sarcasm is." Jocelyn snapped, eyes growing tense and fierce-like as she regarded the girl with a scowl.

Ava only just shrugged nonchalantly in response, "Cool, just checking." Finally, she turned her attention back to her new locker, and after dialing her combination, and pulling the latch, a groan escaped her lips when she realised with a tinge of embarrassment that she had put her old combination into the locker instead of her new one. Grumbling, she spun the dial again, and restarted.

"You wanna know what I think?" Jocelyn chirped from behind her, not bothering to hide her growing smirk.

"There is not enough 'no' in the world." She sighed, pulling the latch open successfully this time.

" _I_ think you and your weird friends lured Dan out into the woods so you could do a creepy love spell on him." She stated matter-of-factly, as if her opinion with the lack of evidence would somehow be accepted by the court.

Not only that, her apparent friend that she so cared greatly for, was in the hospital after being declared missing but she's more interested in harrassing one of the people who found him. So finally, she looked her in the eye, irritation flaring up under her skin as if someone injected poison into her veins, "And then... what, I sucked out all his blood with my vampire fangs? He was  _unconscious_  when we found him."

"Okay... one, that's  _gross,_  and you're gross. And B, I don't know how your weird witch stuff works. Maybe your spell went wrong and knocked him out."

"Uh huh." At this point, Ava just stopped with her retorts and began to humour her superstitions. 

"Either way, you should stay away from Dan." She demanded, face growing red, but she calmed just as quickly as her anger came, "Maybe you used to be buddies back when you were dumb babies or whatever, but he's got  _non-loser_ friends now."

She really wanted to fight back. She felt like an old cartoon character with steam radiating from the top of her head, face all red and contorted into an uncharastically inhuman like character — so long she had been pushed around, so long she had took it. But she had to bite her tongue about defending Dan's honour. It's not the words that hurt, it's the fact that they didn't seem to care at all about his disappearance, or the fact that he was found unconscious in the woods. No one cared about it at all — the fact that it happened was the greatest thing in the world because it gave them an opportunity to have drama, because Jocelyn, Britney and Cody all seemed perfectly fine in keeping up their bullying streak and laughing at people's misfortunes while their supposed friend was hospitalised.

With a slow drawl, sucking down the anger she had brewing, Ava replied, "Oh, now I'm a  _loser_  too? Stop, please, it hurts."

Within a flash, Ava was gripped at the back of her neck and ruthlessly slammed against the locker, smacking her head against the metal door with a yelp. Stars bursting in her vision, her eyes darted up to find Jocelyn staring down at her, eyes wide and lips pulled back in rage, as Ava stumbled, trying to catch her footing whilst instinctively her hands fly towards the injured spot on the back of her head. The shock of the hit itself made Ava's vision flash white as a hot pain erupted from the point of impact.

"How about that, loser. Did  _that_  hurt?"

Ava was a little dazed and her vision was blurry around the edges as she clutched onto the back of her head, but she could still se Jocelyn's smug and resentful face peering at her through a smirk. "Jocelyn... what the hell is your problem?!" Jocelyn had verbally mocked her numerous times before, but never had she laid a hand on her.

" _You're_  my problem. You think you're so smart. Well, it's not exactly smart to make fun of someone bigger than you, is it?" She ranted, eyes blazed in fury.

Ava's very own controlled rage was thrumming deep within, but it was hard to contain in this moment. She clenched her fists tightly, she could feel her nails biting into the skin as she tried to will herself to calmness. The anger had her shaking, jaw clenched, teeth grinding — and when she looked up at Jocelyn's smug face knowing damn well she'll get away with anything, the anger flooded into her system, pushing herself into overdrive. She took a step forward, but so did Jocelyn, now she loomed above her, a full head taller than her.

"Go on, try something." She challenged.

Even with the rage, the hatred, the fear struck a chord in her — Jocelyn had needlessly slammed her head against the locker after a few sarcastic jokes, she's fitter than her, there's muscles beneath her white-wash denim jacket. "Y—you think I'm afraid of y—you..." She stammered, pushing through the bubble of fear lurching itself into her throat.

The finger Jocelyn shoved against Ava felt like a gunshot to the chest, causing her to stumble back until her back was flush against the locker, "Sorry, what was that? I didn't hear you."

"...Um..." Within Ava's gut, something dark and hot was brewing — she could feel it simmering like a boiling pot. She moved her shaking hands to the back of her head, pressing against it as she suddenly felt feverish as if all the heat from the world had been sapped by her, electricity bolted in her being, she could feel shooting up her veins like liquid molten.

"Come on, speak up."

"Back off, Jocelyn. Right now." She managed to grit out, anger letting itself slip through her lips, only just a little, like a warning of what's yet to come.

"Or what, shrimp? You gonna _sarcasm_  me to death?" Her finger jabbed at her chest, again, sending another surge of boiling heat into her gut, and the spot where her finger had touched. She closed her eyes where a a hot-red flashed behind her eyes, a bright colour amongst the shielded darkness of her eyelid, a blinding inferno of rage that felt too big to contain, even if Ava used every part of her being to channel it.

With another hard jab to her chest, the beast within had been unleashed from its chains.

"I said BACK OFF!" She roared, like a lion, the burning rage still boiling in her body until the sound of her voice forced the locker door to fly open by some invisible hand and smashed against Jocelyn's nose with a crack. She stumbled backwards, hands flying up towards her nose to stop the gushing of crimson blood immediately pooling out of her nose, and she fell to the floor, whilst Ava's rage began to simmer and exit through her flared nostrils like steam.

She whined and sobbed as she looked down at the smeared blood coating her hands. Feeling lightheaded, her eyes snapped back to Ava in disbelief, "You... did you just..."

Before Jocelyn even had the chance to scramble up from the floor, Ava was already storming off down the hallway with wide eyes and a slackened jaw — all heat was sucked out of her body leaving her cold to the touch. What in the everloving hell was that? She hadn't even touched the locker — there was no possible solution as to why that could even happen.

She stared down at her hands as if they were a foreign and alien body part attached to her arm. She remembered the burning rage that stewed within her gut, and the red-hot flash before the locker flew open.

She looked at these hands in a brand new way. And with a wide grin stretching across her cheeks, she clenched her hands into fists and tucked them away in the pocket of her jeans, " _Awesome._ "

**...**


	20. fourteen

**014\. 'DAN WAS HERE'  
** **(**      chapter fourteen ** _!_      )**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  
_ **TUESDAY. — 2:46 PM.**

 

 **NELLIE'S FACIAL EXPRESSION** was borderline cadaver-like, completely lacking its usual liveliness and bounce that always seemed to live on her face. Her mind was foggy throughout the school day, every single eyelash felt as though it weighed more than it should, and gravity had been increased. Her icy blue eyes were dull and lidded, blank and glazed over with exhaustion, the muscles in her face were relaxed to the point she didn't have the energy to smile, her head lolled from time to time, and she had to keep stifling obnoxious yawns behind her fingers.

Her mind felt like it had the consistency of butter. Every word that had been sprouted by teachers seemed to slide straight through to the otherside, melt away any sense of education she had.

She was drunk with fatigue, that much was clear. She didn't have the best of sleeps the night before, leaving her irritable and unfocused throughout the day. She kept tossing and turning to find a comfortable position in her bed, trying to reach the lingering haze of sleep that rested in the back of her mind — she couldn't sleep, not with the images of Dan's lifeless body, the dirt monster, and the vine creatures worming their way into her peaceful dreams. There was an icy discomfort blossoming in her chest like a decaying rose, it grew, like weeds spread amongst her backyard, they trapped her under its weight, her breath had been caught in her throat. It was difficult to breathe.

Two officers stood at her front porch. After the group of teenagers carried Dan's unconscious body to her house and Andy called the police. One had been a woman, bird-like, lanky, and blonde hair loosely tied into a bun that rested at the back of her neck, and the other was a man, built like a lithe teenager rather than a forty-year old man she assumed him to be. There were simple handguns sitting idly at their hips, and when Nellie's eyes trailed to it, she had to swallow the lump that had lodged itself into her throat at the sight. They were friendly enough, however, they were a little more on the suspicious end as to why they found the boy.

Nellie told them everything — apart from the vine creatures. She knew they wouldn't believe her, and better yet, they'd make her pee in a cup to test for drugs, or throw her into a psychiatric ward for even insinuating such a strange thing. So she kept quiet, and calmly answered the questions as much as they could as the ambulance arrived, taking Dan to the hospital, and contacting his worried parents.

She wouldn't have been able to stay calm if Noah hadn't of stuck around a little longer.

On Noah's behalf, he didn't understand why he was more involved with Nellie. They both avoided each other like the plague only months beforehand. Before summer break; if they so much as caught each other's gaze for even the slightest of moments, they'd quickly look away, even as their heart raced and lurched, and danced in their chest so hard that it hurt, they would make sure to be as far away from each other as possible — but now, Noah didn't want to be away from her, and hell, she felt the same. Ever since the moment in the gym where Nellie sat beside him, and Redfield's reappearance, something had changed.

It was if the air was charged with a new energy every time they were around each other. It was like static, a crackling in the air, it had never been there before, not when they were little. It was something borderline of a yearning sort. And either it was something melancholy as if a warning of a possible devastating future, or something nice, and better than the awkward tension that had always seemed to surround them in the wake of Jane's death. It was a warm, buzzing sense of familiarity thrumming between them, and it felt strange and new.

It was the moment when the vine creature charged towards Nellie that sparked a sort of remembrance within him — seeing her paralysed, and frightened, seeing her angry, and broken — it really reminded him how much he missed her, and it made Nellie realise how much she had always wanted to be there for him, to help and protect.

Now, they had somewhat became each other's support system. When she was shaking when she was speaking to the police, he stood by her side, and she did the same for him. And soon after the police and ambulance had left as well as Ava and Andy, they both settled down to watch a movie in an attempt of some normalcy — which, to be fair, being in the living room and watching a movie with Noah Marshall wasn't normal; or rather hadn't been normal in a decade — but it was better than being alone and replaying the events over and over again.

She had dozed off while watching the movie, and when she woke up an hour later, she was alone. Her face was squished against the cushion, coating it in a thin sheen of drool, the TV and the lights were turned off, and a light grey blanket was draped over her shoulders.

 

 

**━━━ ∘◦ 💀🌙 ◦∘ ━━━**

 

 

 **SCHOOL HAD PASSED**  by in a sluggish blur. Nellie began to notice, despite her unfocused, irritable, and blank mood, just how much the classes were becoming more and more of the same with each hour they droned on for. The hours, the voices, the students, and the chairs, all mixed together until it all became just one continuous lecture, and just when the students thought they were free from the rambling, they were all called into an emergency assembly, scheduled in the auditorium to discuss the rumours regarding Dan's disappearance, to which most of the student body groaned about while others were genuinely cornered — or just interested in the drama.

Nellie sat alone, not that she minded, she wouldn't be able to carry on a conversation with the mood she had been stuck with all day, now with a migraine shoved on top. Her head was throbbing, as if someone had squeezed her skull like a lemon. Her eyes were squeezed shut in an attempt to will away the pain, by ignoring the sights of the bright auditorium lights, sounds of teenagers chatting and smells of their perfume, deodorant and body odor wafting together, and just focused on the deep rooted pain. It really made her be reminded of her mother's idea of curing a tension headache from her work — she'd take an hour off her tapping away at a keyboard, retreated to her bedroom with cold tea bags, and cucumber slices under her eyes. Nellie wished she could do that.

Sighing, Nellie rubbed tirelessly at her eyes and brung up her legs to her chest, to rest her head on her knees as she sat on the provided red chairs that were far too comfortable for her exhausted body, and focused in on the woman standing on the stages words.

"...and I want to assure everyone that the doctors and staff at Westchester General are watching over Mr. Pierce." Stacy's mom, Mayor Green, stood behind a lectern announcing the situation with Dan, with a sympathetic look adorning her aged face, her eyes gazed over the multitude of students who appeared like they would rather be in maths than be listening to her, "But just as important as his well-being is _all of yours._  So I want you all to know that whatever you're feeling right now, it is normal and  _it is okay._ "

From the row behind Nellie, the familiar voices of Cody and Jocelyn snickered under their breath, completely unashamed by their show of inappropriateness, "What if I feel bored and hungry?" Cody whispered to Jocelyn.

"That is normal, and it is okay." Jocelyn replied with a quiet giggle.

Nellie clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth, grinding them almost into dust in an attempt to bite her tongue to hold back what she wanted to say. She really wanted to turn around and give them a piece of her mind — the fact they were being obnoxious and making stupid jokes while their alleged friend was in hospital after being declared missing. Her hands were balled into tight fists as she tried her hardest to ignore their crude jokes, focusing on the familiar taste of metallic on her tongue and the rhythmic pounding in her skull. But her voice was fighting to slip through the cracks as they continued to make jokes about Dan.

She spun around to argue but snorted instead when she caught sight of Jocelyn with a great purple stain surrounding her swollen nose that was only slightly hidden behind a band-aid, though didn't do much to hide the injury she assumed the nurses had fixed to the best of their ability. She smirked lightly in satisfaction that she managed to get her ass handed to her on a silver platter.

Seeing as though, Dan had became the talk of the day, and that his name was on everyone's lips — despite if they care for him or not, the memories of his malnourished body being chewed on by that vine creature hadn't exactly vanished from her mind, and she doubt it will any time soon, because seeing a horrific creature, something that's not of this earth, hiding in the depths of the woods, was one thing, but seeing it chew on your malnourished friend's shoes was another. And his last words,  _'you shouldn't have come here, now he can leave'_ rang through her mind like a clock pendulum — it made her think. A part of knew it was the right thing to help him, he would of died otherwise, but another part of her had a sinking feeling in her knowing that they may have unleashed something into the world again.

Something they had no control over.

With a low sigh, Nellie rubbed at her exhausted stinging eyes until she saw stars and constellations fluttering in her vision, as if that would somehow give her the answers. She forced her glazed eyes open, blinging away the blurriness, and when she came too, she blinked some more as her blue orbs trail over three little words carved into the arms of the chair she was sitting on.

'Dan was here.'

Her fingers delicately trailed over the carved words as if her touch would destroy the evidence of his existence. The pads of her fingers grew accustomed to the jagged lines and the rips in the plastic knowing Dan was sitting here at one point, and the memory of which had shook loose within her mind, fighting out of its confinement. She continued to trace the words absentmindedly, thinking back to the assembly in which she last saw Dan.

 

 

 _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._  
A YEAR AGO.  
 ** **THURSDAY.** —  **2:30 PM.****

 

 

 **IT WAS THE**  month of November, nearing the Thanksgiving break — to which Nellie was immensely excited about to finally get a break from the gruelling school hours and exams that had been at her neck these past couple of months. A community service was provided, giving an optional assembly at the school auditorium, and Nellie decided to go to it as she didn't really have anything else to do, not only that but it gave the students who arrive extra credit, and really, it wasn't like she was going to do anything for Thanksgiving anyways — holidays were usually spent alone as her parents would work overtime in some other state, or country.

But within the auditorium, she wasn't surprised to find it quiet and barren with only a handful of students strung about fiddling with their phones or staring off into space. But, when she wandered the aisles for a suitable seat, she was definitely surprised to see a familiar popular kid there, not entirely slumped against the seat, but his feet tapped, and his fingers bounced on his legs with short bursts of anxiety. With short, straight, chestnut brown hair only lightly curled at the tips, and shy, coffee hued eyes, the boy was skinny, but the way his sweatshirt and jeans hung gave way to the muscles he had beneath from his days of being a football player.

He was undoubtedly popular, but the lack of friends he had surrounding him, had her confused as he sat by himself with his keys laying in the palm of his hand.

"Dan?" She hesitantly called out when she recognised who he was. Upon hearing his name, he immediately spun around as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't, but his face softened at the sight of Nellie, though still remained just as shocked as she was at the sight of each other.

"Nellie. What are you doing here?" He replied, eyes trailing over her. She knew they both looked different — aged through time of growing and changing. She had grown from the small seven year old she once was, as did he. She had sprouted awkwardly during her youth, at one point her legs were longer than her torso, but eventually, everything began to even out, and Dan had always been small, but he had definitely had a growth spurt as he now stood a whole head and a half taller than her.

Though, fiddling idly with his car keys, he politely gestured for her to take a seat beside him. "Oh, you know... doing my civic duty." She said, humour laced within her voice as she accepted his offer and took the seat beside him.

"You sound like Lucas." He smiled in remembrance of their old friend. A dimple grooved into his cheek that he quickly covered with the ends of his sweatshirt.

She softly laughed and shrugged, "So... what about you? Why are you here?"

"Oh, uh, my dad said I should check it out. He said community service looks good on college applications or whatever." He answered with a nonchalant shrug.

He continued to fidget with his keys, rubbing the rough bit of it against his thumb and twirling the ring around his pointer finger. She frowned a little at that. Ever since Dan was a kid, his father had always been quite pushy. He wanted his son to be the best of the best, despite his feelings. He was the type of dad who thought that if his son followed  _his_  childhood dream, he'd be the proudest person in the world, and that was more important than Dan's wishes. His father dreamed of becoming a star football athlete, but when his knees gave out and he couldn't play anymore, he passed that dream onto his son.

But Dan never wanted to be a star quarterback.

Even when he was a kid, his father pressured him to be into sports, when he preferred to be at home and play video games, and much to his father's dismay, he liked playing with his friends that happened to be mostly girls. After Jane's death, he became troubled. His father cracked down on him even harder now. He didn't care much for his emotions, calling him names for hanging around girls and for showing sadness and grief over the death of a friend. Dan became emotionally stunted, growing up to believe that crying was a sign of weakness. But even though he hid his feelings well, it seemed like something was bothering him or at least Nellie could see right through his facade, but she didn't want to dig nor pry into that conversation, not when they barely know each other anymore.

"So... how are classes going?" She asked instead, playing with a loose thread of her t-shirt.

"Good. Pretty good. I mean, I just flunked a history test pretty hard, but whatever." He shrugged.

"Oh, that sucks. How come? You didn't study?"

"No, I did. Just... I think I didn't get enough sleep last night? I haven't been sleeping great in general..." He looked down at his sneakers out of shy habit, but glanced back up to see Nellie's sympathetic features peering up at him, to which he quickly added before she could question him further, "But, ha, you know, who does, right?" She could tell the grin he had was forced.

"Yeah... totally..." Nellie mumbled, smiling lightly though it faded as she watched as Dan flipped his car keys in his hands before lifting a single key to the arm of the chair, with its gold teeth biting into the red paint as he continuously scratched and scraped at it. "Is everything okay?"

"What? Oh yeah. I'm good. I'm just, um... kinda tired I guess. Today. And lately."

"Good thing Thanksgiving break is coming up, huh?"

"Tell me about it." He grinned.

"Got any plans?"

"Yeah. My family's going up to my uncle's cabin out in the sticks."

"A cabin in the middle of nowhere? Sounds fun?"

"Yeah, totally. It's nice every now and then. I can get away from people and just... be by myself. Though, it can get a little weird sometimes."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, all those trees and shadows and all that. Sometimes they remind me of—" Suddenly, Dan coughed, abruptly cutting himself short, "Uh, you know.  _Stuff._ "

"Yeah. Stuff." She murmured as Dan held her gaze for a moment longer, before his eyes flitted away from her, turning his attention back to the arm of the chair where he began to carve his name. "Dan, have you been thinking about... what happened? Back when we were kids?"

"What? No." He quickly retracted as if her words were venomous, "I mean I think about it sometimes. Not like all the time or anything. But... why, do you?"

"Do I think about what happened? Constantly. How can I not? It's a part of who I am. Or a part that's missing."

From beside her, he began to nod along, agreeing with her words before mumbling, "Like someone chopped off your hand."

"Yeah, exactly!"

"You think you're used to it by now, but then still, five times a day, you look down and go...  _'whoa, when did that happen?'_. Do you remember..." He paused to think, and Nellie watched as his car keys worked on scratching into the armrest, letters forming one by one, "Do you remember that thing we made up? In the woods? Redfield?"

Her breath was caught in her throat, where a lump was beginning to form and constrict, and hot tears sprang to her eyes, "S—sort of..." She stuttered through a subtle choke, trying to will away the image of Jane. It was subtle enough that he hadn't noticed even when he turned back to her.

"Let me ask you something..." He trailed off, his sienna brown eyes looking into her baby blues with worry. His next words came out fast and fully-formed, stumbling over each other in an attempt to meet at the finish line of a question he had been holding in for the longest time, "Do you, um, do you remember how we came up with that name? 'Cause it's really weird and specific for a bunch of kids, right? Like did we take it from a movie or something?"

Dan's eyes were boring into hers with a glint of something hopeful as if he had been wanting the answer to this question for years, been wanting something to hang onto, and to reassure him that he wasn't insane, and what happened in his childhood wasn't a dream, though, it was also infiltrated with desperation and horror. She wasn't sure if she should answer truthfully with the somewhat crazed look he was giving her. Nellie took in a deep breath, rummaging through her brain for any sort of memory that was relevant to his question.

"Redfield's name? I think Jane and I saw it written somewhere..." She answered, and she listened as he breathed a sigh of what seemed like relief that he wasn't insane, or disappointment that it was real, as silence began to heavily hang between them. "Dan, you know if you ever want to talk..."

She reached out for his hand on the armrest comfortingly, but he jerked away quickly as if her touch was lava. He played it off with a nervous laugh, as he scratched at the nape of his neck, "Wow, hey, I'm not — I don't want you to think I'm some sort of — I'm  _fine._ "

A triad of emotions and thoughts buzzed through Nellie's brain at his curt response — she felt hurt by it because that wasn't really his response, that was his dad's. If his father wasn't so harsh on him for showing human emotions, then he wouldn't be so standoffish when someone even insinuates he may need comfort. She knew he wasn't fine. He was hurting, but she couldn't say anything, but a simple, "Okay."

"Seriously." He added with a sincere nod that didn't do much on curing her concern.

"Okay, Dan. I'm sorry." She was already planning on moving away from him shortly to give him space, but upon noticing Dan fidgeting in a clearly uncomfortable state, she gathered her things and was about to leave quickly when Dan spoke causing her to pause her movements.

"I, uh... y'know, I think maybe this whole community service thing isn't for me after all. I'm just gonna go." He sent her a quick smile as he rose from his seat but pause hesitantly, turning back to Nellie's hurt expression that resembled a kicked puppy that tugged at his heart strings, "But um... thanks, Nellie. I appreciate it."

She watched, downcasted, as he made his way through the aisles and left through the auditorium doors, leaving a dumbfounded Nellie behind in his wake, with nothing but three words in the scratched paint.

 

 

 _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._  
PRESENT DAY.  
 ** **TUESDAY.** —  **2:50 PM.****

 

 

 **THE MEMORY SLOWLY**  faded from her mind with the image of Dan's retreating form, slipping through the doors and disappearing. Something was going on with him, that much was obvious. He was so defensive, and acting as though her asking how he was doing was somehow an offensive act. Stacy had mentioned he had been having emotional breakdowns and she had been the only person there to help and comfort him, yet Nellie tried, and he pushed her away. She did everything she could in that moment. They weren't friends, they weren't even acquaintances, just some strangers with memories. The most she could have done for him was offer him support, and that was what she did.

She felt heartbroken remembering how she found him in the woods. In the memory, he was healthy, fit, and normal, yet in the dream, and the woods, he had been found severely malnourished, pale, and sickly looking. Something had happened to him.

She hadn't realised how long she had been detaching herself from reality, until she found herself back in the auditorium, fingertips still grazing over his scratched words, and focused back on Mayor Green's speech that was beginning to come to an end. She sighed to herself, pressing her fingers against her temples in an attempt to rub away the migraine.

"—And now we'll turn things over to your school president, Lucas Thomas, with a very important message on wildlife safety." The Mayor went on to say into the microphone.

"Psst. Nellie. Over here." The sound of Noah's whispering brought her out of her musing just as Lucas stepped onto the stage. She glanced around in search for the familiar boy with the dark blue beanie until she spotted him, sitting beside Ava, Stacy and Lily who waved her over.

"What's up, Westchester High?" Lucas called out, "Okay, let's make this quick. The Sheriff's Office has received some reports of bear sightings in town over the last few days. So today, we're gonna talk about a few _bear essential_  steps you can take to prevent a  _grizzly_  surprise."

A collective groan loudly erupted from the audience at the corny intentional pun, yet, Lucas grinned proudly, whereas Nellie merely slithered her way through the aisles and crept across the auditorium to join the others while everyone else was too distracted to pay much notice. She plopped down in between Noah and Ava with an appreciative smile before turning to Noah and lowering her voice.

"Hey, where were you this morning?" Nellie whispered to him, "I woke up and you weren't there."

"Oh, my mom called me and I had to go home." He replied coolly, sweeping a hand through his mop of brown locks and adjusting the chaotic mess only the slightest, to which she watched with a small, tired, amused smile playing on her lips. His dark eyes examined her face a little as she turned away from him and slumped against the cushioned chairs, noting how exhausted she looked with the faint dark bags developing under her eyes, the pale blotchiness of her skin, and the messy tangles of hair thrown into a bun sitting atop of her head. Even without effort, she looked pretty. He watched as she reached her fingers up to pinch at the bride of her nose and grimace, "You okay?"

Cocking one eye open, she glanced at him and forced a humorlessly bright smile, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He gave her a look that loudly told her she was a bad liar, to which she sighed at, "Yeah, I'm fine, just really tired. Got a migraine too."

He nodded, understanding, but Lily's soft voice rang out before he could reply, "I don't know, guys, this sounds important. Maybe we should listen." She complained, eyebrows furrowed with concern, turning to the bunch of teenagers who were seemingly ignoring whatever Lucas was saying.

"Lily, c'mon. We've heard this speech every year since the first grade." Stacy retorted, rolling her grey eyes at the girl as she brushed away the loose curls of her dirty blonde ponytail that tickled at her neck.

"Besides, we have more important stuff to talk about. Like what went down last night." Noah added in agreement, turning back to the girls who were sitting in the seats in front of them.

"Last night is a blur. I barely remember getting home." Nellie croaked out, as a yawn took control of her voice, she rubbed at her eyes and adjusted herself to sit upright rather than an uncomfortable position.

"I barely remember what we told the cops." Noah mumbled.

"I remember telling them just enough. They wouldn't have believed the full story anyway."

" _I_  barely believe it, and I was _there._ " Noah sighed, placing his head into his hands in exhaustion, "I barely slept after I got home. And I had nightmares all night. What happened out there was... frickin' scary, man."

"We handled it like pros." Nellie asserted with a goofy smile, lightening the mood as she gently placed her hand on Noah's slumped shoulder, before glancing at the rest of them with that same smile.

"Yeah, maybe  _you_  did. I was scared out of my mind."

"Could have fooled me." She grinned.

He scoffed lightheartedly at her comment but couldn't help the grin that slipped past, seemingly beaming a little at her praise, "You're a bad liar. Well, anyway... we filled these guys in on what happened.

"I still can't believe those plant skeleton things." Ava voiced calmly as she picked at her black painted nails, and crossed her leg over the other.

"They sound horrible..." Lily whimpered, shoulders shivering at the thought of witnessing what type of otherworldly creature could be conjured up.

"What?" Ava exclaimed, "No, they were awesome! I mean, aside from trying to rip our faces off." She smirked a little as Lily's face contorted into a confused horror.

"What about Lucas?" Nellie asked, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding her head at the boy on the stage.

"Andy texted him." Noah replied, shortly.

"I still can't believe you guys were actually right." Stacy added with a facial expression of disbelief and shock.

"Hang on, we need to get that on tape." Ava humoured, laughing hysterically when Stacy flipped her off.

"So... what happens now?" Lily asked.

"What do you mean? They found Dan, so... everything's over now, right?" Stacy hesitantly replied.

"I doubt it." Lily whimpered.

Nellie chewed on her nail in thought. What happened last night was something strange, something that shouldn't have happened — something was controlling them to do their bidding. They seemed to be urging them towards the ruins where Mr. Red dwells. There must have been a reason why they were trying their hardest to put them there. So after mulling it over in her head, she spoke, "Those monster things... I think they worked for Mr. Red. Like puppets."

"What, he couldn't kill Dan on his own? He had to send  _pets_  to do it?" Stacy observed, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation.

"I don't think they were trying to kill Dan. At least not mainly." She continued.

"How do you figure that?" Noah leaned in closer to Nellie, seemingly more interested in the conversation.

"Think about it. Dan was helpless out there. They could have killed him easily. But it was more like they wanted...  _take_  him somewhere."

"But you stopped them." Stacy concluded.

"Which means they'll be back. Whatever Mr. Red wants... I think he's just getting warmed up." Nellie relaxed back into her seat as she finished her theory, and found her thoughts drifting back to the conversation with Dan a year ago. Tensing, she shot back up, "Hey... can I ask you guys something? When was the last time each of you talked to Dan?"

"Oh, jeez..." Ava spluttered, trying to think back to the last time she did.

"I don't know." Lily said, lowly as she toyed with the hem of her sweater.

"A couple years, maybe?" Noah answered.

"The last day of school. Just before summer vacation." Stacy announced, gathering the attention of all the teenagers seated there.

Turning towards the cheerleader with a worried frown, Nellie lowered her voice, "Did he seem.... Distracted? Did we bring u what happened when we were kids? Did he ask you about Mr. Red?"

She thought the questions over in her head, thinking back to the last time they spoke, but shook her head in response, "I don't remember. I think we mostly talked about our plans for the summer. But now that you mention it, he did seem kind of... evasive?"

"Nellie why are you bringing this up?" Noah questioned with a frown.

"I've just been thinking about a conversation he and I had... I'm wondering if maybe he was stuck on what happened when we were kids. Trying to make sense of it. And maybe..."

"...Maybe he went back into the woods by  _choice._ " Noah finished for her with a look of sadness etched into his boyish features causing a chill to ripple up their spines as if someone had dropped an ice cube down their shirts.

"Well, there's only one way we'll find out for sure." Ava commented.

"Like what?" Stacy asked.

"We go to the hospital and ask him." Nellie finished with a firm nod that told them that was their next plan, and just as the words left her lips, the school bell rang throughout the auditorium almost causing Nellie to flinch at the sudden loudness as Lucas' speech came to a close with yet another corny pun.

"So remember... be _bear-y careful!_ "

 

 

**━━━ ∘◦ 💀🌙 ◦∘ ━━━**

 

 

Silently with a new goal in mind, the teenagers ambled out of the auditorium and headed towards the lockers in the corridor as their meet up point, where they lingered about while other students grabbed their belongings out of their lockers and left to head home. Nellie rested her throbbing head against the cool locker door in an attempt to ease the pain with an alternative solution of something cold, like her mom with the teabags and cucumbers, but it didn't do much but leave a red mark on her forehead, just as Ava walked up and tapped her lanky fingers on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you walking?" She asked, stepping beside her to lean on the locker beside her.

"I don't have a car, so, yeah." Nellie grumbled, but her eyes stayed close, not wanting to be greeted by the harsh hallway lights.

"Good. I am also walking. We should do so in the same direction at a similar pace. I, uh, wanted to tell you about something."

Nellie's curiosity flared up at her comment but it was quickly snuffed away when Lily appeared, stiffly walking towards the duo with her backpack slung over her broad shoulder, she turned her attention away from Ava, and smiled slightly at the girl, "Hey, do you guys mind if I tag along? I have to return some library books, and with there being a bear around and all..."

"Depends. Can I run faster than you?" Ava cheekily responded, as she plucked at her bleach blonde dreadlock.

"Ha. Uh, probably? I mean, unless I'm just saying that to gain the advantage."

"... I think I need to reassess your threat level."

As the two continued to banter, Nellie's eyes trailed over the sea of people bustling to escape the school grounds when she spotted the familiar build and frame of Andy, brandishing his basketball uniform as he headed towards the gym where basketball prace was to be held, alongside his friend, Tom Sato. Like Andy, he was also of an asian ethnicity, though, instead of short, slick dark hair, Tom's dark hair reached his shoulders, and wearing a pair of sports glasses, that looked more like goggles. They both chatted animatedly to each other about their team, but Andy paused when Nellie and he made eye contact.

Turning to his friend, he gave him a quick smile, "Hey, go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"Sure thing." Tom replied, adjusting his black goggles with a lopsided grin before continuing his way to the gym while Andy jogged over to Nellie and gently pulled her aside.

"Last night was insane. Sorry I took off before the cops showed up. I didn't want to risk... you know my mom worries enough as it is—"

"Andy, all that matters is everyone's okay." Nellie reassured him with a warm smile.

"Yeah," He breathed a sigh of relief as if he was afraid she was going to hate him, "I guess you're right." He glanced down the hall, catching sight of Tom waiting outside the gym doors for him "Well, listen, I have to get to practice, but... talk later?"

"Yeah. Talk later." She waved goodbye as he quickly returned back to Tom, but by the time Nellie's attention was focused back on Ava and Lily, and now the rest of the group who showed up, Mayor Green was marching towards them with thick strides, long legs covering the distance and her black heels clicking against the linoleum floors — her face was laced in a worried frown.

Up close, Nellie could clearly see the resemblance between Mayor Green and her two children, Stacy and Connor. She had the same light skin, dirty blonde hair, and thin frame — the only difference being that Stacy was thicker and muscular than her mother's frail and aged body due to her cheerleading. As she approached the teenagers with quick strides, Stacy looked up at her arrival with a light embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

"Hey, mom." She meekly greeted her.

"Hello, Stacy. Everyone." With a straight, perfect posture and soft, cared for hands neatly folded in front of her, she nodded politely to the students. She was entirely professional, and a little intimidating up close — there wasn't a single crease in her ironed grey suit, nor a single hair out of place in her dirty blonde bobbed hair cut. "How are you kids holding up?"

"We're fine, mom."

Ignoring Stacy's obvious attempt at politely shooing her mother away, Nellie cleared her throat, gathering the attention of Mayor Green who turned her attention to her, "Um, actually, can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"You mentioned Dan is in the hospital... I was wondering, can we see him yet? We need to talk to him about... um... school stuff."

She appeared conflicted as she stared down at the shorter teenager in front of her with sympathy gracing her features, "Oh, the hospital's not allowing visitors yet, I'm afraid. I think they'd prefer to wait until Dan wakes up first."

"Wait, back up." Noah froze, forcing himself into the conversation as the rest of the group stared dumbstruck. "Dan _still_ isn't awake? Are you saying he's in, like, a  _coma?_ " His words struck a piercing coolness to erupt in Nellie's stomach, all exhaustion she had throughout the day was suddenly swept away from her.

"I'm sorry. It's just too soon to tell. But as soon as there's news, I'll make sure you're all aware." She explained as much as she could, Nellie was grateful for, "You know, despite the circumstances, I'm glad to see you all hanging out again. You're good kids."

"I reject that combination of words." Ava mumbled with a small smirk.

"Well, I'd certainly prefer you to some of Stacy's  _other_  friends..."

"Mom, c'mon." Stacy groaned in embarrassment.

"Speak of the devil..." Noah muttered under his breath as his gaze trailed across the hall. Nellie followed his gaze as it landed on Britney's frame making a beeline in her direction hastily. She was in a rush, as if she was being followed by murderer and was trying to remain calm. Noah growled quietly and glanced at Nellie, "Aaand that would be my cue to leave."

"Likewise. Mom, let's _go._ " Stacy demanded, reluctantly gripping onto the sleeve of her mother's suit and dragging her away from the scene, leaving the rest of them behind as half of the group departed.

As Noah shuffled away from the group, he made his hand into the shape of a gun, pressed his index and middle finger against his temple and feigned blowing his brains out before disappearing around the corner, causing Nellie to laugh.

"Hi, Lily." Britney mumbled as she reached the remainder of the group. Her hazel eyes were sincere and downcasted as she turned to the shy girl.

Lily's eyes widened, she was both confused, slightly afraid, and flattered at Britney's apparent friendliness that felt more suspicious in Nellie's eyes. Lily nervously tucked a piece of her black curl behind her ear, "Uh, hi?"

"Listen, can we talk?" She continued, but paused as she glanced up at Ava and Nellie who watched on with suspicion. The girls shared skeptical glances at each other as Britney led Lily towards the doors and into the courtyard to which they didn't waste a moment in following closely behind without question, only stealthily hiding behind the bushes in order to hear the conversation more clearly without them knowing. "Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?" Lily squeaked.

Britney sat down on the fountain ledge, and sighed, she fiddled with her handbag that was slung across her chest, while the other hand rubbed at her forehead as if she was grappling with a painful headache, "I just... with Dan and everything, I was thinking about it, and I realised I've been kind of a bitch to you lately. And I'm sorry."

"Um. It's fine, Britney. Th—thank you."

The popular beamed upon hearing her response. She grinned happily as she leaped up from her seat, seemingly having more energy than she appeared with, "Great! So, I have a question..." Her face was lit, eyes bright, a grin filled with pearly white teeth, to which Lily felt immensely taken aback by and a little scared, "Would you want to get coffee sometime?"

"I...  _what?_  You mean like a bunch of us, or...?"

"I thought maybe just you and me?"

"You and m... uh, wow!" She spluttered, a rosy blush tinting her pale cheeks, "I mean, yes! I'd love that!"

From behind the bushes, both Ava and Nellie watched with baffled expressions as the girls exchange phone numbers excitedly, and with a wave, they both part ways and Lily sauntered back over to them with a smile that rivalled the brightness of the sun, that just couldn't be contained.

"Okay, seriously," Ava was the first to speak, "is it a full moon or something? Was Britney just  _nice_  to you?"

Lily blushed, biting her bottom lip giddily as she looked down at her shoes bashfully, while Ava and Nellie exchanged uncertain glances.

It's not like Nellie to control who someone wanted to be with, or hang out with — it wasn't her body, and it wasn't her choice. But she certainly couldn't deny the feeling of unease creeping its way into her stomach. Lily's a sweet girl, innocent in every sense of the word — she's naive. Britney blackmailed Stacy, she bullied Lily, she bullied Nellie, she bullied Ava — there was no doubt in her mind that there must be some kind of catch to this strange occurance. Unless Britney suddenly had a change of heart, which to her, doesn't exactly sound plausible. But she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to rain on Lily's sun shining smile.

"Well, since we're on the subject of mysterious occurrences of uncertain origin, wait til you guys hear what happened to  _me_  today—" Ava began.

**...**


	21. fifteen

**015\. THE THEATRICS OF AN OLD LIBRARY**  
 **& OTHER STRANGE THINGS**  
 **(**    chapter fifteen ** _!_** **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**TUESDAY. — 3:14 PM.** **

 

 **WESTCHESTER WAS BATHED**  in the sky's brilliant ball of fire's rays of sunlight, granting them with the vibrance of colours splashing against the labyrinth of sunburnt roads and dusty paths leading to the Main Street filled with architecturally divergent buildings. Nellie swore each building that had sprouted in the small town was made without city planning from an indecisive person with a great passion for architecture, but couldn't decide what type of era they most preferred to construct their buildings in. It made the town look somewhat disorderly, but that wasn't to say it didn't make the town look all the more inviting and fun to explore.

Some buildings looked modern to fit the current times, colourfully painted, and decorated with a more common style, whereas other buildings remained in the comotose state of victorian style, or old england made from brick and stone. It was odd, but it truly gave the town a bit more character, and it certainly wasn't boring.

It was a twenty minute walk from the high school to the library. A red-bricked, victorian styled building sitting at the forefront of the road, right beside Gunther's Hardware store, tucked away by it's smaller size. The road lain on the earth was damp with glistening shallow puddles, fallen into existence by an earlier sunshower than had came and gone in the midst of the afternoon assembly, the teenager stuck the footpath, though, dodged the puddles there also.

They were all quite absorbed in Ava's story, which she had been enthusiastically recounting with a wide, almost proud, smile on her face. It was the most animated Nellie had ever seen of her — it was quite the sight, and somewhat daunting to see her usual solemn, and stoic features be stretched into such a broad, toothy grin, her hands flew when she talked, eyes wide and wild.

" _BANG!_  Slammed the locker door right in her face." The girl finished, looking expectantly at Lily and Nellie's faces for their reactions. It was obvious she was hoping they were feeling the same pride she felt.

But Nellie only found herself frowning in confusion at her revelation, not entirely sure if she should believe it or not, but she wasn't sure if she could even fathom to not believe her — too many strange and unnatural things had been revealed in too short of a time span, all revolving around the group of friends, with the dirt monster seeping its way into her dreams, Dan's disappearance, Redfield's return, finding Jane's whistle in the woods after she lost it years prior, those deadly skeletal creatures... and now Ava had some kind of power. It wasn't plausible for her to even have those abilities, but to Nellie, after every illogical thing that had happened recently, she wasn't going to pass it off as a delusional antic.

And besides, finding out Ava had been the one responsible to break Jocelyn's nose was laughably, the best thing she'd ever heard.

"And you're  _positive_  there's not some other explanation?" Lily narrowed her eyes in suspicion as they continued to walk down the footpath.

"I'm telling you — I thought it, and it happened." She declared with a stern nod.

"So, what, now you're telekinetic or something?" Lily went on to question, though her question wasn't to be answered when Nellie spoke up with one of her own.

"Ava... can you do it again?" She said, kicking at a random pebble of the footpath, she watched as the tiny thing rolled off of it and landed on the black span of road, as she tugged her cold hands into the pocket of her jacket. If Ava could do it again, then to Nellie, that'd be enough evidence to rule out Ava's delusions — she would believe her more if she saw it in action.

Ava softly sighed and shrugged, "I don't know. I've been trying to do it again all day, but it seems finicky. I'm pretty sure I moved an eraser in Social Studies... I figured it's like a muscle? Like maybe if I rest it a little, it'll come back stronger. And pretty soon I'll get all psychic-swole."

Lily shuddered to herself, still freaked out about how in the dark the group was. They had no idea about anything remotely to do with the paranormal, or whatever was in the woods continuing to haunt them. With them not knowing any information on Westchester's history regarding the woods that surround the town, and the powers Ava now suddenly possessed, it would only make things more difficult for them if push turns to shove. "I don't know about all this... doesn't the timing seem odd? Like maybe it has something to do with... you know..."

"Redfield?" Ava finished for her.

"Don't say his name!" She yelped, lurching forward to quickly shove her hand over Ava's mouth to refrain her from saying any more.

Nellie sighed with a roll of her eyes, "Lily, he's not Voldemort."

Lily suddenly frowned with a sneer coating her full lips as she turned to her, "You don't know  _what_ he is. None of us do." The girl shivered as her mind wandered to the darkest of places as they all crossed the street towards the old, dusty public library that sat innocently amongst the bricked buildings. "Dan goes missing... turns up in a coma... weird monsters prowling the woods... and now this, like, witchcraft stuff? What if Mr. Red  _is_  doing this? What if he's manipulating you? Or  _controlling_  you?" She continued without missing a beat, her eyes were wild, and crazed like, bordering what a conspiracy theorist would look like about the illuminati underworld controlling society through music and the media, or the reptilian people running the government.

Though what Lily was saying could be true. There's no doubt that Redfield was controlling the skeletal creatures in the woods, possibly sending them after Ava, Noah and her in order to kill them — if Redfield suddenly gave Ava powers, than she could be some kind of mouthpiece, or a spy looking through her eyes on their whereabouts.

"Okay, first of all," Ava started, holding up a single finger as they reached the outside of the library and stood by the steps leading up to the wooden, double doors, "I object to the persecutory undertones of 'witchcraft'. Second of all, I'm not being controlled!"

"But that's what you would say if you  _were!_ " Lily countered.

Ava opened her mouth to retort, but after a few failed attempts to get her voice out, the words died down in her throat, and she nodded with a simple frown, seemingly all excitement about her newfound powers dying down along with it, "I guess you might be onto something there..."

Nellie furrowed her brows, looking between Lily and Ava, "Why would he do that, though? What does a monster gain from handing out superpowers?"

"Servants? Or, no, what's that other word..." Lily offered her own wisdom, and she pondered as she tapped her finger against her chin in thought, " _Thralls._  What if Mr. Red wants to make you into some kind of... puppet? Like those other monsters?"

Lily's words seemed to struck a chord in Ava who visibly stiffened from beside her, faulting in her usual carefree nature as a frown, and a stammer took control of her movements, but she quickly covered it up with a snarky scoff, "A badass like me? Psh. That... that could never happen. Could it?"

Her mood shifted once more, face falling, eyes sullen and lips pursed as she turned to Nellie for guidance and answers that even she couldn't give. But with stern eyes and a sure smile, Nellie pressed her hand on her petite shoulder with a nod, "Ava, we won't let that happen."

Ava groaned in a mockery of disgust, her usual personality clawing back to the surface, "Nellie, can you chill with that 'power of friendship' stuff? You're gonna give me a cavity. But that  _does_ make me feel better. Thanks. Look, I'm not gonna  _not_  explore this just because it's supposedly evil." Lily opened her mouth to say something but closed it when Ava sent her a pointed look to tell her she wasn't finished with her statement. "...But I'll be careful. And if I start hearing, like, creepy whispers telling me to murder my friends, you guys will be the first to know. One way or the other."

"Oh my gosh, Ava, that is so not funny!" Lily reprimanded with a nervous breathy laugh.

"I mena, it's a  _little_ funny." Nellie added with a ghost of a giggle.

A fuzzy feeling returned to her stomach when their shameless laughter, bright and cheerful like a blossoming dandelion, rang out like the old times, when they had nothing but their childhood to care for — before everything changed. Their bellied laughter carried them inside the dull library, slipping colour into the brown-toned walls, floors, and furniture. They were immediately met with usual quiet stillness of a library and the judgemental look of the librarian sat at the reception desk, a frail, old lady, with a bird-like nose, peering at them under her thin-framed glasses, who was just as old and dusty as the books that dwelt there.

Before them were rows of wooden bookcases neatly stacked to the brim with books with their spines facing outwards, colour coded with dots, and sections arranged in alphabetical order. The shelves looked as though they were going to collapse from the pressure of numerous books and files shoved on top of it. Every piece of furniture was coated in soot and dust collecting, and most of the books were ancient enough that there was a sign that read to handle the books delicately as if they were newborn babies, and not paper. Situated in between the space of each bookcase were tables where a few stragglers lingered about reading their chosen novels, while others typed away at their laptops

The air in the library was hushed and muted, punctuated with the lazily floating dusk that felt as though it was clogging up Nellie's airways, and drifting down towards her respiratory system, and under their feet sat old, coarse and cheap carpeting that felt itchy against the skin of those who sat on it.

Lily gently placed her books onto the counter where the bird-like lady stood behind with an unimpressed sneer sent in the direction of Ava and Nellie, as if she was waiting for the rowdy teenagers to break a rule so she could kick them out without question, but while Lily was returning them, Ava and Nellie milled around the stacks of old, decrepit books, curiously looking at the titles as they waited for her.

"For real, though, I think there must be something in the water around here." Ava started as she pulled out a random thich, brown book from the case and skimmed through the yellowing pages.

"What do you mean?" Nellie questioned, peering over her shoulder as the book she's flicking through.

"This town has, like, a  _history_ of spooky weirdness. Witch trials, cults, you name it."

Nellie frowned, "Did you say witch trials?"

"Yeah. Back in the 1800's. I'm pretty sure they hanged a bunch of women."

Nellie inwardly scowled at that. Of course she knew of witch trials, especially the Salem Witch Trials which happened to be the most famously known. How hundreds of innocent women were suspected of witchcraft and were sentenced to a fiery death at the stake, or hanged. It made her angry, and mournful of the women who died at the hands of religion and superstition leading to extreme cases of murder — though they got away with it due to their beliefs. In the era, women were seen as unintelligent, almost inhuman to the men — they never saw them on the same level as them, they were lower than dogs, so when women were caught doing something intelligent like science, or developing medicines, they were accused of witchery, because not only was it blasphemy to go against God by believing in science, but a woman stepping out of the order they were given from birth to bare children, and serve their husband, to instead help the sick was exceptionally worse according to them.

Nellie always thought that if the roles were reversed and it was the man who began to create medicines for the sick and believed in science over religion instead of women, none of them would have been burned, or accused of witchcraft. But never did she suspect that the small, innocent town of Westchester in which she was raised in, had a dark history of witch trials as well.

"How have I never heard about this?" Nellie questioned.

"Well, it's not exactly the kind of thing they put in the tourism pamphlets."

Before Nellie could respond to her comment, Lily returned from the counter, ambling over to the duo, now with no books in her hands to wrap her arms around, instead she wrapped them around herself, "What are we talking about?"

"Westchester's spooky history." Nellie answered.

"Does it have one?" Lily exclaimed, seemingly just as shocked as Nellie to find out the innocent, small town they had all been raised in and called home had a deeper wound than expected

"Yes! I'm not making this stuff up." Ava declared in annoyance.

"Well, if we wanted to look into it, we  _are_  in a library. And we might even be able to learn more about... you-know-who." Lily suggested.

"I'm surprised you want to." Nellie countered.

"I don't. But if something is really after us, I'd prefer to understand it." Nellie nodded in agreement, she had a point. History wasn't necessarily Nellie's forte, she much preferred English in comparison, but it wouldn't hurt to brush up on her knowledge of Westchester, or the lack she had thereof, especially if Redfield was a part of it. It'd be handy to figure out his weakness, and how he came to be. "Also, I just like hanging out with you guys." Lily added.

"Aww, that's so cute, I think I'm gonna barf." Ava humoured, earning a lighthearted chuckle from Nellie, before the two turned to her, "Well, Nellie? What do you say?"

"Let's do some digging. So where do we start?"

"Follow me." Lily ordered, and immediately, the girls followed behind her with a newfound motivation laced in their features. The three made their way towards the archaic, clunky library computers that were far too old that it struggled to search the web — it was no wonder those who come to this library bring their own laptop rather than using the provided computers. Lily plopped down on the hard wooden chair whilst Ava and Nellie crowded behind her, peering over her broad shoulders as her fingers glided over the plug in keyboard with keys the size of tombstones. It was dirty with greasy stains, clinging to the pads of Lily's fingers, and missing the letter 'B' as she typed out the words into the catalog search.

"Okay, let's try 'Westchester' and 'Witches'." She said before pressing the enter key. An array of useless sites flooded the screen, nothing interesting or informational enough for the girls to learn anything useful. Lily released a groan, "So much for that."

"Try 'Oregon Cults.'" Ava suggested.

Once again, useless sites popped up. "Same thing. We need to narrow the search somehow."

"Try looking for news articles. This sort of stuff has to have turned up in the news over the years, right?" Nellie offered.

"Ooh, good idea." The girls watch on in anticipation as Lily pressed a few keys, emitting the quiet library in the sound of obnoxiously loud _clicking_  noises then pushed enter, and as if they were all simultaneously holding their breath, a handful of promising results surfaced on the screen, earning a collective sigh of relief from the lot. "Bingo!" She cheered.

"Nice work, Nellie." Ava praised, adding in an odd mixture of a playful punch against her shoulder, earning a silly bow of gratitude as she was bowing to the sight of a royal, while Lily's emerald eyes trailed over the search results for a suitable site, not wanting to click on random sites in order to avoid the slow loading.

"Okay, I see two here we should check out." She said, gathering the attentions of Ava and Nellie considering they were distracted by their own immature activities, "The first is a book.  _Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Klamath County, Volume V11._ "

"On it." Ava quickly declared, grabbing a random pen and a post-it note next to the computer, and scribbling down the Dewey number, before disappearing into the library in search of it.

"What's the other?" Nellie asked.

"Looks like a newspaper article from the 70s. Let me see if I can bring it up..." After a series of clicks from the mouse and the keyboard, the article slowly loaded onto the screen, and Nellie didn't waste any time, quickly focusing on the small printed words plastered on the old, yellowed paper.

"August 22nd, 1976..." She read aloud, "'Klamath County Police Discover...  _Forest Massacre'_? Holy crap!"

"...remains of 14 young men and women suspected to be part of a religious group were found in the Westchester woods several days ago..." Lily continued off from where Nellie stopped.

"Those are  _our_ woods." With wide eyes, and jaw dropped, Nellie to turned to her as the realisation sunk into the pits of her stomach. But Lily wasn't looking back at her. She continued to read the article like a robot without even blinking, feeding into the realisation that chewed at her insides.

"'...authorities characterised deaths as a mass suicide... but questions have arisen regarding mutilated remains and  _ritualistic posing_...'"

"It's gotta be Redfield!" Nellie exclaimed, far louder than expected earning a harsh 'SHH!' from a nearby reader, but she didn't pay any mind to it, and jabbed her finger at the screen to convey her message, "He must have murdered them, just like he did with Jane!"

"This is crazy..." Lily whimpered, shakily running her fingers through her neatly styled hair that had began to fall out of place. Their hearts were in a race, competing each other on who could break the quickest, but Ava returned, carrying an ancient ledger with brass rings appearing like it was going to rip at any given moment due to the neglect, and corrosion of time.

"You think  _that's_  crazy, get a load of this!" Without a second thought, she roughly plonked the heavy, decrepit book down on the table in front of them and opened it, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. Immediately, they were engulfed with the scent of dust and stale tobacco with pages that were barely holding on to the original stitching — it was withered in age, and a tea stain ran down the page like a lazy river.

She reached out her sepia-toned finger out to press against a series of words on the opened, crumpled page, and Nellie read, "'Trial proceedings for the People of Westchester versus...' Wow, that's a lot of names. Who are _all_ those women?" Her icy eyes scanned over the fading print of various names organised by their surnames that she was surprised to still be readable.

"The survivors of a massacre, on trial for witchcraft." Ava answered with a small frown as if she was deeply hurt by the evidence bearing in front of her before she covered it by motioning for Lily to read along. They all lowered their faces towards the fading print, trying to ignore the pungent smell of collected dust, tobacco and tea, " _'Testimony of Rosemary Willow, November 9th, 1871... Miss Willow, please describe for the court where you were on the night of All Hallows' Eve..._ '"

" _'Walking home from a masquerade party, through the woods of Mill Creek Road.'_ " Lily continued, reading along the testimony, assuming the role as Miss Willow whilst Ava took the Jury's questions.

" _'Would you please tell the jury what you saw that night?'_ "

" _'I saw people in the woods...'_ "

" _'Let the records show that Miss Willow has indicated the defendants.'_ "

" _'And I saw... another.'_ "

" _'What do you mean by another? Another person? Do you mean the deceased, whose bloodied corpses were found the next morning?'_ "

" _'No. I mean..._ ** _him!_** " Lily was suddenly startled, voice cracking. All three of them paused when the light above them shut off for a mere second, and returned shortly after. Without saying a word, they ignored it, though, couldn't contain their furiously beating hearts at the coincidence. Nellie's eyes darted around the room, but stopped when Ava continued.

" _'Him who? Miss Willow, who did you see?'_ " Again, they froze when the library lights began to flicker like an old movie reel, as they did in the gym only a day prior.

"Uh, guys?" Nellie weakly called out, the words clawing their way to her throat, all the blood was drained from her face as she stared at the girls in alarm when the lights continued to flicker. The air around them was thick and hard to breath, coating with wind-like whispers, like a disembodied voice, that circled around them, but Nellie clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to ignore the noises that struck her to the core.

Ava continued her reading. Not once looking up from the page.

" _'Let the records show that Miss Willow is pointing to the back of the courtroom... and_ ** _screaming_** _.'_ "

"Maybe we should give it a rest for today..." Lily quietly suggested, pale-faced and ghost-like — her breathing came out short and nervous — but Ava didn't stop there.

" _'Miss Willow, please sit down!'_ "

Lily released a short shriek of horror, and Nellie's blood was rushing to her ears as the library lights completely shut off, surrounding them in pitch darkness just as the words left Ava's tongue. Nellie's hands were shaking, her eyes were watering, and her throat was tightening — but just as she was about to clench her fists tight and allow the sharp claws of her nails to cut into her palm, the lights returned once again.

"Ava..." She trailed off, reaching out her shaking hand to rest it on Ava's shoulder in an attempt to prevent her from reading any further.

" _'Miss Willow, what are you doing?!'_ " She read, ignoring Nellie's pleas, but the lights continued to flicker on and off — as if they were at a rave rather than a library.

"Ava!" Nellie shouted, her voice pierced through the wispy whispers that were loud in the quietness of the library, and the pounding of her skull. She reached her hands down to Ava's shoulders and hastily shook her as hard as she could to break her out of the trance she was seemingly in.

" _'Oh my god, someone stop her!'_ " Ava continued to read.

Nellie reached for the book in Ava's hand, and hysterically slammed it shut just an inch from Ava's nose — forcing an exhausted sound, like a padded door shutting, and ripped it from her hands and throwing it to the floor, a safe distance away from them. As quick as a lioness pouncing on its prey, Ava whirled around with a look of fury painted on her face but paused as the group collectively watched in confusion as the fluorescent lights above them hummed back to life like nothing happened and everything silenced.

When everything was normal and the fury had slid from Ava's features, it was Nellie's turn to be rightfully angry. She frowned and glared at Ava for not stopping when they were begging her to the point that Nellie was vigorously shaking her shoulders, and accusingly pointing a finger in her direction, "You know, generally when the lights start flickering, that's a good sign you should stop reading aloud from a creepy book!" She spat.

"I'm sorry!" She retorted, arms desperately flailing about, "But, Nellie, it was  _him!_ "

"Yeah, no kidding!"

"No, I mean back then! The trial! Think about it. Creepy entity, lives in the woods, worshipped by a crazy cult..." She explained, causing Nellie to raise her eyebrows in realisation.

"...Redfield... and that would make _two_  mass-murders in Westchester, in the same woods, within a hundred years of one another."

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out. Can we be done for the day?" Lily pleaded, already beginning to shove her things swiftly into her school bag.

"Definitely. But let's make copies of all this stuff first." Nellie replied, leaning down to scoop up from the ledger from the floor, and making her way towards the library's worn-out copier that had seen better days — after pressing a few buttons, she copied and printed the pages before neatly assembling the results in a folder.

"Here, Nellie. You should take these home with you." Lily said, handing her the witch trial documents labelled with a yellow post-it note that read  _'WITCH TRIAL STUFF'_  in a marker. She'll make sure to put the folder in the shed, along with the strange rune stone and the barbed wire bat.

"And thus concludes our spooky scavenger hunt." Ava commented with a small smile — Nellie couldn't help but smile now that they finally have a source of information on the entity that had been haunting them for a decade and tormenting them now. Although, Nellie was still irritated with her, she was just glad that they were less in the dark of the whole ordeal and know that it wasn't just them who had experienced Redfield.

"Emphasis on spooky." Lily added with a shudder.

"Good work, guys." Nellie mumbled, reaching out her head for them all to high five which they all accepted with playful smiles.

"So, uh... anybody else ready to go back outside now?" Ava murmured, grabbing her school bag and tossing it over her shoulders.

Upon hearing her words, the girls gathered their belongings from the computer desk, cleaning the mess they left behind, as well as earned a scornful look of disappointment from the librarian at the racket they had caused in the library, though, it seemed as though no one heard the whispers like Nellie did — nor were they bothered by the flickering lights, but they heard them bickering. Finally, they reached the outside, and Nellie couldn't help but take a deep breath of the fresh air that wasn't laced in dust and enjoying the warm sunshine drenching them in its light.

"Later, ya'll. Don't get eaten by monsters. Or a bear." Ava winked at the two, and sent a small wave to them.

"Gee, thanks." Nellie laughed, bidding her goodbye as Ava sauntered away in the opposite direction, whilst Nellie and Lily continued to make their way to the back roads of Westchester. It was only then when Nellie remembered that Lily actually lived nearby to Nellie's, further from the woods, but close enough for them to walk together — which she wasn't complaining, it was nice to have company rather than walking alone.  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  


The windy and deserted back roads that led to Nellie's house was oddly welcoming in the daylight, despite the tall, dark trees threatening to step onto the road, curving above as they loomed around them with menacing tones, and the remainder of sunlight was fighting to be seen through the thick canopy of trees — but Nellie knew all too well that once the sun set and the moon took its place, the world around them was only going to get all the more ominous.

The road stretched onward, and the two teenagers shoes scuffed against the asphalt as they listened to the comforting music playing from Lily's phone, as they chat amongst themselves — speaking of their childhood memories, what had happened in the decade a part, some of the conversation led to darker places, but it was better than silence.

"So, you and Noah, huh..." Lily started, turning to Nellie with a knowing look.

She frowned, feigning ignorance and turned to Lily with a light coat of red on her cheeks. "W—what about Noah?"

She laughed lightly at Nellie's reaction, "Don't be silly. I see the way you look at each other. Besides, Ava saw you two holding hands. What's going on between you guys?"

"Oh well, I don't know. I mean — ugh, I don't know. It's just, we've always been close, you know? And then those ten years apart ruined it, and then suddenly we are all talking again, and it's just, really strange, and unexpected, and Noah, well, he's been struggling — understandably, and I wanted to comfort him, and held his hand. And now, I don't know — I feel all mushy inside whenever I see him, and it's embarrassing."

She smiled at her flustered response and nodded along to her words, even though she couldn't necessarily relate to her feelings towards men, but she could understand in the same way she thought of women. "Looked like that was hard to get out."

"It was." She squirmed under Lily's pensive gaze, "God, it's like, I forgot about the feelings I had for him growing up, and suddenly he's  _there_ , and I had to sit beside him at the gym for the pep rally, and I felt like my heart just exploded, and my body was on fire. It was so weird, Lily. It's like all those feelings I had for him as a kid, are now back, but only worse." She let out a breath, "I don't like him in that way — but, seeing him makes my heart burst."

"Sounds like you like him."

"I don't! I don't know what I'm feeling. I just want him to be happy."

"I have to admit, even with everything that's going on... it's nice to be hanging out with everyone again." Lily said with a small smile.

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Nellie grinned bashfully, nudging her side playfully as they continued to walk down the dirt track beside the road made from fallen leaves and sticks that crunched under Nellie's combat boots. They fell into comfortable silence, and just listened to the sound of the wind flowing through the trees and brushing against their hair, and the chirps of bird — it was nice, comforting, until Lily's phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out of her pocket with greedy, quick hands, unlocking it and then blushing wildly. "Who's that?" She questioned.

Lily was silent as if she was trying to figure out a way to tell her the truth without sending her the wrong impression, but she couldn't contain her excitement, she turned to Nellie with a wide smile, "Britney... We're trying to decide where we want to go on our... um... date."

Nellie couldn't help but smile a little at Lily's beaming expression brimming with tentative joy that she struggled to contain, but still, Nellie was worried. Sure, it's nice to see Lily so happy, but Britney wasn't someone to trust, or rely on. If Britney had been treating her terribly for all of high school, bullying her for her weight, bullying Ava, and Nellie too, as well as blackmailing Stacy, then why would she begin to be nice now without severing all ties with Jocelyn and Cody, or even just apologising to Nellie, Ava and Stacy. It was suspicious. Nellie couldn't trust her to be nice, not after all those years of ridiculing at the hands of her and her hounds. She was concerned that it would be just an elaborate prank to humiliate Lily in the long run, but seeing Lily's face and Britney's reaction her acceptance — well, she's either being genuine or she's a great actor. Something tells Nellie it's the latter, and she should keep a lookout for Lily.

"Lily, are you sure about this?"

Lily's face fell. "What do you mean?"

It hurt seeing her puppy-dog eyes filled with admiration, suddenly be snuffed out — but it needed to be said. "I just mean, Britney... uh... well, she can be a little..."

"She can be terrible sometimes, I know."

"Yeah. that's putting it lightly."

Lily sighed from beside her, shaking her head sadly, "She's not always like that. Or at least she didn't use to be... before she went and got  _popular._ "

Isn't that how it's always like? You make friends with someone when you're kids, it's so easy, and quick, and the bond's strong, until high school hits, and suddenly they're too pretty to be associated with the likes of you. "So that note you left... you two used to be friends?"

"Yeah. Best friends, actually." Lily smiled in reminiscence.

"What was she like?" Nellie questioned, it'd be nice to know what she was actually like before popularity ruined her — it would humanise her, almost.

"She used to be more of a tomboy. And sort of... bad. She liked to steal stuff from the store. Candy, sunglasses, stuff like that. I think she just got a kick out of my reaction."

"It sounds like you guys were close."

"Yeah. Super close, actually." Lily grinned to herself bashfully as if a sudden memory had sprung to mind, causing a rosy blush to rise to her cheeks. "Actually, there was this one year at summer camp where Britney and I—" A rumbling sound from behind them forced Lily to pause in her sentence, and for Nellie to glance over her shoulder to check where the source of the sound was coming from only to catch the sight of Cody's head to pop out of the side of his red convertible car, as he slowed to a stop beside them.

"Hey, check it out, it's the freak parade!" He called out, while Jocelyn cackled beside him, lounging in the passenger seat while he sat behind the wheel.

"Hey, sit on this finger and rotate, scumbag." Nellie countered, holding up her middle finger with a scowl contorting her face.

"Just ignore them." Lily gently ordered, in an attempt to prevent Nellie from provoking the fire further. But Nellie was over being shoved around by them, and not having the right to fight back and defend herself because they're the only ones allowed to dish it out, but can't seem to take the abuse that. But she listened to her pleas, and picked up their pace, but with Cody slowly pressing his foot on he accelerator, he matched the crawling pace of the car to Nellie and Lily's.

"What's the hurry, kiddos?" He patronisingly asked.

"What do you want?" Nellie snapped, turning her head in their direction with fiery eyes, "Shouldn't you be, I don't know, pissing off somewhere else, or something? Or is your life that boring that you have to do this type of shit?"

"Haven't you dorks heard? There's a bear on the prowl." He remarked, with a cocked eyebrow at her response.

" _Roar._ " Jocelyn added.

"We saw you walking and thought we'd give you a lift." Cody innocently asked, eyeing Nellie with a look that was borderline predatory.

"Yeah, sure." Lily sarcastically mumbled with a growing frown.

"Appreciate your chivalry, but I'd rather gouge my own eyes out than be anywhere near you." Nellie spat.

Cody only laughed at her attempt of an insult, "What's the matter? We're all friends here. Hop in." He said, before he roughly twitched the steering wheel closer towards them, close enough that it would have skimmed Nellie's side had she not jump out of the way.

"Knock it off!" She shouted, muscles tensing as she clenched her hands into a fist.

"It's not me, it's the car!" He innocently cried out, while Nellie flinched violently when the car moved close enough that the door thumped against her arm.

"Knock it off!" Lily screamed.

Nellie growled lowly in her throat, wrapped her hand in the sleeve of her jacket, and harshly slammed her fist into the car's mirror, shattering the glass into million's of sharp pieces, earning a pained wince when a small shard of glass pierced in through the material of her jacket and sliced into her skin.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Cody howled as if he was shot in the stomach, he forcibly stomped his foot on the brake causing the brake's red lights to flash, and both doors to burst open as the two stepped out and rounded the two of them, "This is a brand new car!"

"If you cared so much for it, you shouldn't be using it to _hit_ people!" Nellie roared back, getting up into his face as anger spread through her veins and cancelled out the stinging sensation in her knuckle.

"Oh, my bad, would you prefer if I hit you some  _other_ way?" He sneered, stepping close enough that their chests were touching, and he was standing a whole head above her. Their shouting was violence in a dialogue, her anger transferring to Cody's and his transferring to her.

"Touch me and I'll break your fingers." She spat.

"You two about to make out or what?" Jocelyn smirked, stepping forward and gently ripping Cody away from Nellie, and now she's standing in front her, "All that tension is something you'd see in a movie. But don't worry, I can think of a few  _other_ ways to hit you."

She exploded towards Nellie like a sprinter off the sporting line. Nellie briefly caught a glimpse of her closed knuckles before they smashed against her jaw before she could even react, erupting a sudden sharp sting of pain to spread across her skin, followed by a second hit towards her cheek. She fell backwards due to the power and velocity of her swings, stumbling to her knees on the asphalt road as her hands flew out to catch herself as the pain shifted beneath her skin. Her tongue was coated in a familiar metallic taste of blood, and she cringed at the taste, and spat out a glob of red-dyed saliva, and there's gravel digging into the palms of her head, and blood oozing from the cut opened up underneath her eye.

"Nellie!" Lily cried out, moving to run towards Nellie, but was stopped by Cody's bodyguard-like stance, "You two better l—leave Nellie alone, or else!"

Jocelyn and Cody's eyebrows shot up in the quiet moment leading up to them sharing a glance and wildly beginning to laugh loudly. "Or  _else?_ " Cody commented.

"I... I'll..."

"You'll do  _what_ , cinnamon bun?" Jocelyn sneered, leaving Nellie to cough and spit onto the road, as she stepped towards Lily and gave her a hard shove, earning a cry from her as she staggered backwards. But Jocelyn didn't stop her movements, and she continued to advance on the cowering girl, all the while, Nellie struggled to regain her footing, too disoriented from the blow Jocelyn had given.

"Lily!" She weakly croaked out, wiping at the trail of crimson dripping out of her blood caked lips and sliding down her chin towards her neck. Lily hesitantly balled her hands into fists, readying herself for a fight, whilst Cody whipped out his phone.

"Oh, oh, hold on, I  _gotta_  get a video, this'll be hysterical."

Jocelyn grinned wickedly as she presented her face on a silver platter, challenging Lily to throw a swing with a tap of her hand against her cheek, "Go ahead, marshmallow. Give it your best shot!"

"I... I..." She stuttered, continuing to subconsciously step backwards to give her some much needed space, eyes darting between Jocelyn's approaching form, and Nellie's kneeling against the ground trying to catch her bearings, until Lily began to shakingly and hesitantly raise her fists — and if she were to fight, it'd be the first, and even if she lost, it's something she'll remember — but Cody and Jocelyn merely laughed at her attempt at forming an intimidating stance, whilst Nellie struggled to stand.

"You can't do much without your little protector, huh, Lily?" Jocelyn mocked, eyes watching as Cody moved towards Nellie with quick strides of his legs, and Nellie braced herself for another hit, but instead he wrapped his hand around the fabric of her jacket and jerked her to her feet, he pulled her tight against him with a vice grip, making her wince, her eyes dropping tears that rolled down her cheeks, the saltiness burning her cut.

He threw one arm around her shoulder and pressed her flush against his side, "You're going to watch as your little friend is given what she deserved." He sneered, squeezing his arm around her even more, forcing her to feel as though she was about to crushed under a hydraulic press, as she tried to keep her knees from buckling beneath her. Jocelyn reared her fist back, and Cody's brings up his spare hand to her cheek, forcing her to watch Jocelyn's undoing.

But at the edge of the road... the bushes started to shake by birds with a sickly caw, grievous eyes and ebony stained wings — ad in only a moment, a cloud of crows surged out from the forests trees and flanked them on all sides, exploding outwards in a mass of hundreds, they dived, and swooped, and cawed ominously, and slammed into Cody and Jocelyn like bullets, smashing his head into the car, causing him to let go of Nellie who dropped to the ground and ducked.

"What the hell?!" Cody cried, as he tried to swat at the crows that continued to pelt and peck him ruthlessly.

They swarmed around them like a thick cyclone of black, waxy, feathers, cruelly tearing at Jocelyn's flesh with their sharp beaks and claws. She released a blood-curdling scream as she flailed around. The birds hadn't even touched Lily and Nellie who both laid low so they wouldn't attack.

"Joss, get in the car!" Cody demanded, already making a scrambling beeline around his convertible to dive in over the doors, followed by Jocelyn who continued to cry out as the birds didn't stop their attack.

"Get OFF!" She wailed as she swatted at one of the birds with a hard backhand causing the little thing to drop to the road. The girls both watched on as the convertible's engine roared to life, and quickly sped off — and before they knew it, there was nothing but silence, the cloud of ebony had vanished, all dispersing into the sky, and when Nellie glanced up, she found the lot of them returning to their stations and weighing down a branch, appearing more like shadows than birds.

"Oh my god, did you  _see_  that?!" Lily cried out as she jogged over to Nellie's leaning position and helping her to her feet.

"Holy crap, that was awesome!" Nellie let out a bloody grin, but whimpered at the pain that smiling caused, "I've heard of karma, but who knew it was so speedy and efficient?"

"Yeah, those crazy birds showed up right on time. It was almost like..." She trailed off when they both heard a small, pained sound from a little ways away from them. Nellie padded over towards where the sound was to find a small mass of black resting in the middle of the road.

She crouched down to the asphalt road, and lying there was a baby crow, stunned from its fall — it was a small, fluffy thing, with beady, inky eyes peering up at Nellie. "It's the crow Jocelyn smacked." She said, sadness etched in her tone.

"Aw, I think he's hurt..."

"Come here, little guy..." Nellie cooed. She slid her hand underneath the bird, and stood up, looking at it from all angles, before nursing it against her chest. There was no blood she could find, or any injury, the least that could happen was that it may be concussed, but Nellie was no vet so she couldn't be sure. The creature let out an angry caw before pecking at her hands, "Ow!"

Staggering to its feet in the palm of her hand, the crow raggedly leaped from it and raggedly flapped into the trees without another sound. "Poor thing... I hope he makes it back home." Lily said.

"Come on. Let's get going."  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  


It didn't take that much longer to reach the driveway of Nellie's house without any further issues from Jocelyn and Cody — hopefully the crows gave them enough of a scare that they will no longer bother them. Nellie's jaw still throbbed from Jocelyn's hit, and her cheek still stung, but thankfully the dripping blood flow had slowed to a stop and dried, crusting over and already forming a scab.

"And you're sure you're okay?" Nellie asked, needing reassurance that after everything that had happened, with Jocelyn's almost hitting her, that she'd be fine — but right now, Nellie needed sleep, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"I'm fine... but... I wish I could have done more. Back there. I wish I wasn't so..." She stopped when fresh tears welled up in her green eyes, her voice shrinking to a pitiful squeak that tugged at Nellie's heartstrings.

She turned to her, pressed her hands on her shoulder and forced her to look her in the eye, "Lily, listen to me. Being afraid does not make you a coward, and violence does not make you brave. Jocelyn certainly seems to enjoy it. And does that strike you as someone who's particularly courageous?"

"No..." She sniffled.

"There are other kinds of bravery. And you don't have to prove anything to anyone... least of all jerks like that."

Lily wiped her tear stained cheeks with the sleeves of her sweater, and sent her a trembling smile, "Thanks, Nellie." With a little smile that hurt her lips, Nellie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close enough that Lily's nose snuggled into her hair as she released a shaky breath.

Despite the heaviness in Nellie's stomach, she passed on her strength to Lily with her arms rubbing up and down hers. Soon enough, they pulled away, and bid their goodbyes, Lily continuing down the road, whilst Nellie made her way up the driveway towards her awaiting house that felt just as cold as it did when she left.

Eventually, she crossed over her yard, along the stone path leading towards her back door, she fiddled with the house keys in the palm of her hand until her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, and she paused. In the corner of her eyes, the shed door was swung wide open forcing an icy cold grip to cling onto her heart. She narrowed her eyes, holding the keys tightly in her hand to use as a makeshift weapon and tentatively trailed over to the little old shed.

Cautiously, she slowly prowled closer towards the open shed door, pressed her back against the metal wall, and peeked around the corner, but nothing was out of the ordinary. That bat, and the rune stone stayed as the way she had left it.

"Hey, Lucille, quit leaving the door open." She humorously complained in an attempt at using humour to sate her growing fear, and pounding heart that thrusted against her rib cage, but Lucille remained stoically silent. "I really need to stop talking to inanimate objects. And myself."

The girl slunk into the shed, taking out the files from her school bag and sliding them into the filing cabinet, but when she was around to reach the handle to shut the drawer, she heard something... a scuffling sound coming from outside the shed. There's sniffling... a huffing breath... heavy claws scratching against the walls. Her heart plundered in her chest like a horse's hooves against a racing track, her palms grew sweaty, and every hair on her body stood on end. She slowly turned around, easing forward on the balls of her feet and slowly reached out her shaking hand towards the door handle when suddenly, the familiar sight of Hilda's black mop of her fur made her heart stop in the most relieving of ways.

"Hilda?!" She cried out, staggering to the wall, and slunk to the floor in shock at her frightened reaction that had been all for nothing when Hilda bounded through the doorway over to the girl, and clambered on top of her with her tongue furiously licking every inch of her face she could find, with her black tail wagging vigorously. She felt massive amounts of relief as her hands reached to pat at her fur.

"It was  _you_  who pushed the door open before! You stupid dog! You scared the crap out of me!" She reprimanded, pressing a multitude of relief filled kissed against her forehead.

"God damn it, Hildy, how many times do I have to tell you to get outta the neighbours' shed ya little— oh Nellie!" Her head darted up to find Cid poking his head into the shed. "What are you doing down on the floor? Everything okay? You got a cut on your face."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I, uh... I thought Hilda was a bear." She sheepishly replied as she ran her fingers through her soft fur with a sigh. "And I got hit in the face with a ball today," She lied, "Yeah, basketball came flying at my face, smashed me right in the cheek."

He smiled sympathetically at her, "Sorry about that, hope you're alright. And I swear, I don't know why she's so obsessed with gettin' in here!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. And I know why. This stupid shed is falling apart, so we get animals inside. Raccoons, squirrels... it's practically a zoo in here."

"Ah. Well, hey, if you're looking for another exhibit, you just reminded me, I wanted to ask... how would you feel about watching Hilda for a while? You'd be doing me a huge favour."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. Heading outta town for about a month to visit my brother. I'd love if I didn't have to stick Hildy in a kennel that whole time. She's real well-behaved. And if you don't want her in the house during the day, I could set up a little bed for her in here." He offered with a hope-filled smile. Nellie couldn't say no, seeing Cid's expression, and Hilda flopping onto her back whilst Nellie scratched at her stomach — it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a guard dog around, especially after the events of the past two days. She would feel more safe with her, and she could potentially protect her from what horrors lie out in the woods.

And besides, Hilda was not only a great companion, but she was just too cute. "I'd love that."

"Great! Hear that, Hildy? You're gonna stay with Nellie for a while. How's that sound?" He told her, earning a soft bark from Hilda as if she could understand his words and was just as excited as Nellie. She helped Cid set up the doggie bed for Hilda to sleep on in the shed, but even despite her parents protests of having a dog in the house, Nellie was going to make Hilda sleep in the bed with her, no way was she going to be left alone in that big house. Turning to her after setting the red doggie bed under the desk, he said, "I'll bring her food over before I take off in the morning. Thanks again!"

After bidding goodnight to Cid, Nellie whistled for Hilda to follow after her, and she obediently trailing behind her into the cold, empty house that felt a little more warm with Hilda around. Maybe she'll beg her parents for a puppy when they come back from overseas. It'll be better than being alone all the time. She dropped her denim bag onto the cream-toned sofa in the living room, while Hilda sniffed around the house in curiosity of a new environment.

The furniture in Nellie's house was the result of her father's manic phase where he bought a bunch of furniture because he was just terribly bored with his life, and wanted something new. Her mother wasn't all too happy about it, not only did the furniture fail to match, but money was subsequently drained out of their bank that they slowly built back up over the years. But Nellie didn't care much, the sofa was comfortable.

She slid into the sleek kitchen her mother had the more control over — considerably, it was more organised, though cluttered and lived in. Her mother would have preferred the professional, untouched, catalogue household, where everything was clean, but clutter was something she could never get past with a husband like him. She grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge, and reached for two bowls of her favorite cereal. One without milk for the dog, as she didn't have dog food yet, and one for herself. They both sat in silence, slurping and crunching at their frosted flakes.

Nellie smiled to herself. Sitting at the kitchen table, with a bloodied face, eating cereal with a dog, after being attacked by Jocelyn, and Cody, wasn't how she expected today to go by. But things felt okay. And oddly enough she felt okay. At least for now.

**...**


	22. sixteen

**016\. LIONS AND TIGERS, AND BEARS. OH MY!**  
 **(** chapter sixteen ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**TUESDAY. — 4:35 PM.** **

 

**ANDY**

**IT WAS CHOKINGLY**  humidin the gymnasium, with the afternoon sunlight streaming in through a large window you'd expect to find on a storefront, only if it wasn't placed so high up on the wall above the double doors leading to the outside world. The sun came in like an uninvited guest, casting subtle squares on the varnished maple wooden floors that gripped onto the soles of the basketball team's sneakers as they practiced their passing drills. It painted the members contrasting hair colour and styles, slinking into the strands, and planting their bodies in a glossy shine that trickled down their backs like rain on a window, and forced dark stains to soak their blue and white uniform showcasing their teams colour.

Ther legs pumped furiously, feet pounding against the floor as they ran up and down the court as if they were training to run an Olympic Champions race rather than practicing for a high school basketball game — the coach lingered about, shouting words of encouragement hidden faintly behind an insult at the boys in a form of tough love, while he stood at the side lines, watching as their lanky bodies, coupled with their hair drenched in sweat, sticking to their forehead.

The amount of noise resonating in the gym made Andy wince. Not only was his jersey clinging to his back in the most uncomfortable of ways as if he had been running in a storm, joined in with salty sweat stinging his eyes and his usually styled hair was laid in a clump against his forehead, curving around the length of his face, but his head pounded from the noise, forcing him to lose his focus on the game — he wasn't sure why it was affecting him so much, it didn't before.

Brushing a clammy hand through his soaked dark hair, he sucked in a deep breath into his burning lungs. His legs felt like they were a newborn deer, shaky, and light, and his stomach ached with a nausea that spread throughout his entire being from the lack of food in his system that only made him all-the-more irritable. The boy leaned over, bracing his hands on his thighs and squinting his eyes shut to catch his breath, ignoring the sound of jogging footsteps approaching him.

Without even looking, he could tell it was Tomiochi Sato, better known as Tom — not only could he tell by his size-too-small basketball shoes that squeaked against the floor and left his toes sore and cramped, but no one else would even bother coming up to Andy besides him.

"Yo, what's up?" He asked, appearing just as sweat induced as Andy, probably worse due to his strands of lengthy inky dark hair that curled around his face and landed on top of his collarbones.

Tom was a strange guy, Andy could admit, not that it mattered to him what he was like, or what he did with himself. They'd been best friends since they were toddlers, due to their parents forcing them to communicate considering they were friends also, their friendship carried on into high school — and the rest was history. Tom was always someone he could confide to, trust, and truly he was one of the first people who truly accepted him and didn't treat him like an outcast because of his identity, and not only that, but he had always been there for Andy, especially after the result of Redfield.

"What do you mean?" Andy questioned, leaning up and away from his thighs and peering up at Tom with an unreadable expression.

Tom's eyes were deep pools of brown, usually covered by thick, black rimmed glasses that the fake wannabe hipsters would wear by choice without being prescribed for it — Tom wished he had that luxury, instead he was born with shitty eyesight. But, in order to protect his expensive glasses from being broken, he opted to use basketball sports glasses whenever he was practicing.

"You seem distracted. Is it this thing with Dan Pierce?" He pressed, shoving his sweaty length of hair out of his face, "You guys used to be right, right?"

"Huh? Oh, I mean, yeah, but... it's not that." He sighed, rather loudly, and squeezed his eyes shut to will away the headache, before nodding up the court, gesturing to where Ben and ther others practicing their running shooting drills, and dribbling the ball between their legs, "Why don't they let us practice shooting? Small forward is my best position."

"Because they have no plans to sub either of us in during the game." Tom said without missing a beat, without an ounce of emotion in his tone.

Andy suddenly froze, now standing straight as a toothpick, shoulders no longer slumped. He gawked at Tom with a paled face and a lurching stomach as all the hope and pride he had for being accepted into the basketball team began to shake. "You mean  _ever?_  Why?"

Tom shrugged jadedly with pursed lips and a clenched jaw as if his own words didn't affect him, but his distant eyes with a faint look of hopelessness spoke volumes. It was racism, Andy should have known. It made him sick to the stomach to think that even when racism was beginning to die out and people were becoming more accepting with each other, still did racism live on in the hearts of these teenagers who were supposed to be the next generation of people to abandon the racism their parents poured into their developing brains.

Why did Andy and Tom being Asian have anything to do with their abilities as basketball players? Being a certain race doesn't mean they have better skills over others — and given the benefit of doubt, how were people supposed to learn how to play basketball and improve their skills if they're not even given the chance to practice because their heads are still stuck in the 50s?

Andy knew it. Tom knew it. No one had to say it, but they both were well aware of the stares they get, the snickers, and the obvious distaste etched in their features as if it was their fault that they were offended. "You can't be serious. What is this, the 50s?" Andy said, still in denial that this whole exclusion was based on their race.

Tom turned to him with a dejected sigh, "Look, this is the first time you've made the team, but I've been playing with these guys since junior high, and it's the crap every year."

"But the NBA has tons of Asian players!" Andy countered, still in denial. He leaned down to pick up a spare red ball that rested against the bleachers and tossed it at Tom who caught it.

"Yeah, and those guys  _still_  have to deal with racist crap. People yelling slurs during games, teammates not passing to them..." Tom trailed off, his shoes kicking at the shiny floor as if he was taking out his frustrations of the wood rather than the faces of racists. He threw the ball back.

"Great. So, I'm gonna be called 'Triple Threat' for the rest of my life?" He complained and caught the ball as he glared at the rest of the team practicing, "I mean, unless I suddenly _stop_  being short, trans, and Asian..."

"You know  _I_  don't care about that, right?" Tom mumbled with a sincere expression gracing his features.

He grinned at his comment with both an appreciative and sarcastic gleam in his eyes, "Yeah, I know. I don't mind that  _you're_ Asian, either."

"Ha Ha." Tom monotony replied, though couldn't hide the growing smile tracing his lips.

Not many people were supportive of Andy's identity. His parents were quite confused about the whole idea of their little girl wanting to become a boy, but nevertheless, they supported him and his choices, and allowed him to live the life he wanted. They were there for him during his transitioning, complimented him on the milestones male-borned people experienced like the first hair on his chin, or his voice growing deeper, and they loved him all the same. However, high school was a different story. People were either ill-informed of transgenders or were just assholes who didn't like change. And now, Andy as himself, an Asian transgender man, was suffering from harassment and exclusivity by his classmates.

He remembered just how nervous he was to step back into high school as a male, and he remembered all the snickers and sneers sent his way — even before he transitioned, he had worn typically masculine clothing, and tried to plant the use of he/him/his pronouns into daily conversations with others so they'd be more comfortable to use his appropriate pronouns, but people refused. People just assumed he was a masculine lesbian. However, Tom, and his parents, were always supportive of his choices, and even while Nellie, Noah, Stacy, Lily, Dan, and Lucas weren't as close as they were, they were still happy for him.

"I just... why even let me be on the team if they won't even let me play?" Andy scowled, tossing the ball to Tom.

"Look... people suck, Andy. if it's not these jerks, it's people like my first girlfriend who wouldn't stop calling me 'senpai."

Andy inwardly winced at the word. "So why even bother?"

Tom smiled warmly at Andy, and pressed his hands gently on his shoulder, "Because you're not a quitter."

Andy broke out into a mighty grin at his friend, playfully nudging his taller friend with his elbow before Tom tossed the ball back. "Thanks, Tom." He said, smiling once more as he tossed the ball back to him but his pass was off and he watched in muted horror as the red ball sailed straight over Tom's shoulder.

"Whoops! I'll get it." Tom called out and began to trot off after the ball that continued to roll away from the two. Whilst he went after it, Andy watched him momentarily, but his longing gaze drifted towards the other end of the court where the rest of the team continued to practice.  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  


An hour had slowly crawled past since the practice began, and Tom revealed what Andy had already been suspecting, by now, the ream was ready to wrap up the game, have a shower in the locker room, and head home. Usually they would continue practice, but with the rumours of Dan Pierce being potentially kidnapped and the bears lurking around Westchester, no one really wanted to risk being attacked by staying out past curfew. So, in turn, practice was cut short due to the order of the team captain, Ben, who Andy was planning on having a few choice words with while he stood outside the school near the fountain, kicking at random pebbles to entertain himself.

What Tom said about the team treated them like their less-than capable just because of their race, really struck a chord within him understandably. He was just sick and tired of being treated like a diseased, contagious social reject that people can't be in contact with otherwise they'd develop the same disease. It wasn't fair to anyone to be ridiculed for something they have no power or control over.

It was only a little ways after Tom had left to hit the showers when Ben sauntered out of the gym's back doors and headed towards the front of the school with a damp towel thrown over his broad shoulder. Andy hadn't even showered himself — just tugged on his black jumper over his jersey in order to not miss out on Ben. Andy jogged towards Ben once he spotted his damp, blonde hair with quick, casual strides of his legs and cheerfully called out his name.

The boy whirled around with a polite smile upon hearing his name but the smile faded from his face when he saw it was only Andy, "Oh. Hey, Andy. What's up, bro?"

"Mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure thing, dude. What about?" He replied with a casual shrug, looking as cheery as a leader would be talking to a member of his clan, whether he was an outcast or not. They both walked alongside each other towards the rear parking lot where his car was awaiting.

"Well... I was hoping to get a little more time as a small forward."

His cheery attitude wavered slightly in return, a small frown fighting to reach his face as he stopped in his tracks, but a smile forced its way back on. "Have you tried talking to Coach?"

"I don't want to... I don't want it to come across like I'm whining." Andy responded, chewing on his bottom lip, anxiety bubbling up in his stomach like spark plugs in a tub of water.

Ben nodded sympathetically, and placed a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder, "Ahh, yeah, that sucks, man. I feel you."

"Well, so I was thinking, since you're team captain this year, maybe you could put in a good word for me." He suggested, a tiny bubble of hope lurching in his stomach, but it exploded into nothingness when he sent him a lingering smirk hidden behind a fake, canine-like smile that told everyone that he was better than them.

"Sure thing, bro. I'll think about it." With a polite nod at Andy, his smirk drifted from his face, and he turned away to head towards his car. Andy didn't feel right — a strange tingle of cold sweat pooled on the back of his neck, dripping lower onto the knobs of his spine, and disappearing in the material of his jumper, a prickle of penting vibration thrummed in his throat, and anxiety gnawed at his insides.

Within him, a rage was brewing. An irritation was flaring. That fake smile — that smirk. The eyes, his sneer, looking down at him as if he was the king of some grand kingdom, sitting on the top of a mountain of gold while Andy was a lowly peasant begging for a penny.

"You'll  _think_  about it? That's bullshit." He spat, loud enough that it echoed throughout the buildings.

Ben laughed — a mocking sound that sent heat of anger towards his chest and the bottomless pit of his stomach. He winked at him over his shoulder with a wicked grin, "Yep."

Andy's mouth went dry, his throat felt tight,and his stomach sunk like a pebble in a pond. Soon enough, the blood drained from his body, and his face was red with suppressed rage, "Hey! If you have a problem with me, why don't you say it to my face?"

Ben abruptly stopped walking and shook his head with fits of childlike giggles, before he turned back to Andy with a sardonic grin as if he was itching for a confrontation from him, "Wow, you  _really_  like to push things, huh?" He remarked walking back over to the boy with an oddly calm nature to his posture, compared to Andy's brimming with pent up rage, "Look, I try to be nice to you, right? I figure I oughta set an example for the rest of the guys. But..."

"But what? Go ahead.  _Say it._ " He hissed through gritted teeth, at his side his hand was clenched into a white-knuckled fist.

"Fine. you want the truth? Here it comes." He cleared his throat, not taking his eyes off of him, and said, "You're an affirmative action hire,  _bro_."

He couldn't say it was surprising, but hearing the confirmation of his suspicions had his heart shattering into millions of tiny pieces, and his legs momentarily buckled underneath at the new flesh wound Ben had caused, as if his words were a physical blow. All confidence he had mustered up from the years of being harrassed, and bullied for the things he couldn't control and now finally being a part of the team he had always wanted to be on — had been for nothing. Swirling away like dust. Everything he had worked for, trained for, practiced for, was a lie. His words hit him like a bullet to the chest.

And really, there was no surprise Andy was defensive and quick to enrage when he had been bullied his entire high school life. He had to fight, kick and scream to get where he was while everyone else got it handed on a silver platter.

"I... that..." He couldn't manage to string a coherent sentence, his heart pounded painfully against his chest, and his stomach clenched as if someone was holding it in an iron fist, but Ben didn't stop with his relentless bullets.

"The only reason you're even on the team with us is because it looks good for photos." He added, only fueling the fire within Andy, each violated phrase, syllable and vowel was a douse of gasoline. He stepped closer towards him, dismissing the space between them and sucking the life out of Andy whose fist was clenched at his side and his jaw rooted in place like the effects of rigor mortis on a corpse.

Ripped to shreds, Andy fought hard to keep his tears under lock-down that were threatening to seep through the thin shield and roll down his cheeks — he looked away, voice wavering into a pathetic whimper, "Y—you can't just—"

"I can't _what?_  Hurt your feelings? You gonna cry? Huh? You gonna  _tattle_  on me?"

"I—"

"You know if you really want to help out the team, why don't you do us all a favour, Triple Threat?" By now, Ben was right in front of Andy, his face only an inch away from his without any care for his surroundings and Andy's personal space, "Quit."

And just like that, Ben turned his back on him and walked away, leaving Andy to feel like an abandoned pup left out to die because he couldn't keep up with the pack. He tried to control his breathing that was rapidly spiralling out of control — and then the water leaks burst from within him, salty tears fell freely, out of sight and out of mind. He shook as the walls that kept him strong, collapsed all around him.

But Tom was there to hold him upright, to be the walls for him while he breaks. He had jogged towards him as he caught the sight of Andy's trembling form, his heaving shoulders, clenched shaking fists, and angry tears sliding down his face. He was there, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into an embrace.

"Wow... that was... Andy, I'm sorry. Ben has no right to talk to you that way." He said, grateful that Andy was allowing him to hold him together while his face was mirage of anger and humiliation.

"But he just did..." He growled, with a single recovering breath and furiously knuckled away the tears that stained his face until he looked relatively normal.

"Andy?" He tried to say, but he's already ripping himself out of his comforting grasp and without another word, he was marching towards Ben's retreating form. "Andy, wait! What are you gonna do?!"

"I'm gonna kick his ass." The boy simply replied, cracking his knuckles to release some of the seething aggressive tension as he rounded the corner to the car park to find Ben standing as still as a statue, "Hey, BRO!"

He wasn't one to hit someone from behind, but with the fire-seed planted in the depths of his stomach, he wasn't in the slightest caring for his honour. He pulled his fist back, ready to strike him then and there, but he froze when he realised why Ben was standing completely still... because when his eyes trailed up form his paralysed body, he watched with a newfound spark of fear because not five-feet from them stood a large, shaggy brown bear baring his sharp, white teeth in a vicious snarl at the shaking Ben.

He stood on his hind legs, standing taller than any man, bottom paws planted firmly on the ground and released a haunting growl into the air.

"HOLY FU—" He was cut off by his own blood curdling scream as the bear lunged down on him, yanking him effortlessly off his feet and dragging him across the car park's asphalt like a careless kid playing with a ragdoll. "HELP ME!" He wailed helplessly, all the while he was kicking and punching aimlessly at the beast to release him from his claws.

But the bear only roared in response as it rolled the teenager over, hard, and Andy's eyes widened in horror he heard something inside Ben's arm separate with a sickening _POP!_ He watched on helplessly without any idea of what to do as the bear hovered above Ben with his thick, gooey saliva dripping from his fangs and dribbling onto Ben's jersey, panting above him as he was ready to tear his body into shreds.

But it stopped.

As if the bear was in a trance, he was snapped out of it. Appearing like he lost interest in the Ben's horrifyingly mangled body pretending to play dead. Andy watched cautiously at the bear, he stood still, not moving or breathing — but the bear looked around, huffing as it came out of some sort of daze. All aggression slipping away and returning as a consciousness of the woods.

"Whoa there..." Andy gently said as if he was coaxing a frightened horse into calming down. The bear's large head turned its attention towards him, black glossy eyes peering into his own as if he recognised him, but before he could question it, the bear wandered off back into the woods, just as Tom rounded the corner.

"What is going  _on_  back h— holy crap, is that a  _bear?!_  Oh my god, Ben!"

His voice was muffled in the back of Andy's head, all too focused on Ben's body with a look of shell shock adorning his face — he faintly remembered instructing Tom to get help, and hearing the sound of his shoes scuffing against the asphalt as he stumbled backwards and took off running for the nearest person but then Andy was darting towards Ben, all anger and hatred felt for him gone in a flash as he knelt by his side. "Ben, just hold on. It's gonna be okay."

Ben only moaned painfully in response, "My arm... I can't move my arm..." Andy glanced at his arm and gagged at the sight of his mangled flesh, oozing with crimson red, bent at an odd and unnatural angle, and mauled beyond recognition to the point that his flesh was dangling from three deep scratches.

"I found Coach, he's gonna go get the nurse!" Tom breathlessly reported as he sprinted back towards where Andy and Ben were sat, "Is Ben okay?"

"I dunno... his arm looks pretty bad."

"Jeez, is it broken? What if he can't play in the game tomorrow? He's our only small forward! I mean, except..."

".... _Except for me._ " Andy murmured, mouth widening in shock.

Was this a coincidence?

**...**


	23. act five

 

 

 

some things  
buried deep  
need to stay  
that way

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 5.**  ❛ BUCKLE UP. ❜

**'MAMA WE'RE ALL FULL LIES, MAMA WE'RE MEANT FOR THE FLIES.'**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

**//**

chapter seventeen ****— 017. SNAKES & LADDERS  
****chapter eighteen  ** **— 018. 1871  
**** chapter nineteen ** **— 019. WE GOT SPIRIT, YES WE DO!  
**** chapter twenty **— 020. HER VENGEANCE**

****//** **


	24. seventeen

**017\. SNAKES & LADDERS**  
 **(** chapter seventeen ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   **  
 **WEDNESDAY. — 7:46 AM.****

 

**LUCAS**

**LUCAS THOMAS WOKE**  up to the steady patter of raindrops falling against his bedroom window. It was a cloudy morning — Lucas could tell by the growing patches of blue struggling to be seen through the sheet of grey clouds as they drift around without purpose and settled into positions to lazily battle for dominance. The world outside was silent — save for the tired cars that drove past his house, and the sound of his parents fiddling around with the coffee machine in the kitchen as they quietly chat amongst themselves, while his younger sister skipped into the shower.

He had always been an early riser. Something he preferred to do as it gave him more time during the day, or perhaps his parents had rubbed that trait into him from their early mornings as well. Nettherless, it didn't matter if Lucas had no sleep the night before, if he was busy studying for a test all night, or if he just couldn't sleep — his body would force him awake at approximately 6:30 AM. But in the wash of new light, Lucas couldn't find the strength to crawl out of bed. He was completely riddled with anxiety and homework — it wasn't human for Lucas to get barely a wink of sleep just to fill his overworking brain with more information to be stored away. There was no surprise that this morning seemed to be a breaking point for him.

But still. He had work to do. A mental breakdown will have to wait to the afternoon when he came back from school. So, by 6:45 AM, he'd jump into the shower to fully wake himself up. He'd relish in the warm water spraying his body, and then he'd slip out. Get changed into his usual attire of a white long sleeved undershirt, and tug on his trusty grey sweater over it neatly. He'd gel back the mop of dark chestnut hair into a sleek position, keeping the shaved sides nice and short, followed by him placing his black glasses on the bridge of his nose.

He flicked his wrist over to check the time on his watch. Now it was 7:20 AM. When he glanced back at the mirror in front of him, still covered in the steam of his earlier shower, he scowled at the appearance of dark bags settling under his honey eyes that never failed to exist. Lucas, wasn't one to judge anyone who wore makeup, man, or woman — but he, himself, didn't exactly want to sneak into his little sisters room like a dog with its tail stuck between its legs, just to apply her concealer under his eyes to cover it — especially not when people will mock him for it. So he dealt with it, just like he dealt with everything else in his life.

Constantly the A+ student, with the perfect grades, and the perfect home, no one knew of the real reason why his grades were so perfect, and hell, his parents were struggling with paying off this house as it is. Lucas was the student that was ways smiling, never shedding a single tear — because oh no, that'd emasculate him. He was stress, anxiety, and exhaustion all rolled up into one giant ball of tension. But he had to smile through it all. No one would ever see him as who he really was.

He took two steps at a time as he walked down the staircase, entering into the living room space. He greeted his mother with a gentle chaste peck on her aged cheek who sat at the kitchen dining table sipping at her freshly brewed coffee, and sat down beside her to silently eat the stack of pancakes she had left out for him and his sister. She would ask him how school was going, how his college applications were going, how studying was going, how this and how that — never how  _he_  was going. He loved his family deeply, they were good people, wholesome and humble, even his little sister was sweet, even though they were constantly bickering, but it was painful to know that they cared more for his academic abilities more than his mental health. His future as a doctor was more important.

He had a few more nibbles of his breakfast until he felt too sick to eat anymore. Not the type of 'overeating sickness' but a tight nauseous ball in the pits of his stomach. He left shortly after mumbling his answers, and excusing himself with a 'I'm not that hungry' even when his stomach rumbled loudly in protest. He took off outside, ignoring the bitter cold, and headed to his parked car nestled in the safety of the garage, and he left for the lonely ride to school.

It was way too early for school to begin — he was the only student who was authorise to creep past of the line of permission, and doing something that could be considered illegal if it was anybody else — entering the school grounds when no one but the teachers were there. But he was only here because of the tragic news yesterday afternoon of a bear attacking a student. It was horrific when he read the email Principal Flores sent him later that night about the intimate details. He could only imagine what Andy Kang saw that day. Principal Flores asked him to come to school early the following morning to record an announcement to the school in regards to the students injuries, and to keep an eye out for bears, which led to Lucas to wander the halls in silence.

Most of students scoffed and shrugged it off because even though Westchester was a town built in bear territory, still, it was rare for the bears to wonder the streets, so they weren't all too distressed about Lucas' announcement, but once they heard that one of the students had been attacked, he knew that it would stoke the fear in them.

It was around this time when the teachers would begin to arrive, preparing themselves for the long day ahead of them, so, Lucas wasn't too worried that he was overstepping boundaries, even though a part of him still felt wrong to be on school grounds in afterhours. But the teachers were well aware of him hanging around the school to study, and he was a trustworthy student enough.

The footsteps of his waxy, leather shoes, echoed throughout the empty corridors as he softly walked around. His eyes scanned all the posters showcasing the upcoming Homecoming event, the basketball game, and the self-help inspirational posters, and every square inch of the linoleum floors underneath his feet, the pale paint on the walls, and the multitude of personalised lockers as if he was seeing these mundane things as something he had never seen before. The school was completely barren of communication, no giggling cheerleaders or yelling athletes, it was silent aside from his shoes slapping against the floor with each step. All the classroom doors were shut, locked and awaiting for the teachers to slide in their keys — that was until he came across a door that was already opened.

Lucas stepped closer to the classroom he recognised as Mr. Cooper's room, and popped his head around the corner of the door to confirm his suspicions where he found Mr. Cooper in all his glory, seated on his chair and reading a novel. Upon noticing a figure in the corner of his eyes, he peered up to see the teenager and sent him a greeting smile, "Mr. Thomas? You're here early." He commented, and knowing he had been caught, Lucas took a small tentative step towards the door.

"Oh, uh, morning, Mr. Cooper. Yeah, Principal Flores asked me to record a P.A message about the bear attack." he replied, subconsciously fidgeting with his fingertips. He had always felt uncomfortable under Mr. Cooper's penetrating gaze, but it was even worse now that he was alone in the school, and the teacher was staring at him from his desk for a painfully long amount of time while he hovered in the doorway, "So, is there something you wanted, or...?"

As if he had been in a trance, Mr. Cooper looked away from Lucas and began to bounce his leg in consideration as if mulling his question over in his head, allowing it to marinate into his conscious before nodding, "As a matter of fact, yes. There is. Please, step inside."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lucas slowly inched into the classroom that was somehow more intimidating now that he was alone with Mr. Cooper. He and the teacher hadn't always been on the best of terms which only made him sweat nervously. Mr. Cooper had always had that menacing attitude, the type of attitude that reminded you to stay in your place, and even if the confidence and surety you have in yourself was as top notch as anything, he'd find a way to tear it down. But it was something he used so students would respect him. A lot of the time when teachers allow the students to walk all over them, they don't get the same respect as Mr. Cooper would get, even if the students dislike him.

Around Lucas, the classroom stood empty and still, tables neatly situated in their original spots, it was neat and tidy, no students belongings to clutter up the tables, with the white walls covered with bright colourful posters that shouted, 'GO TEAM GO'. All the while, Mr. Cooper sat at his comfy chair at the front of the classroom, nearest the now clean whiteboard that yesterday had held the notes of the study of Witch Trials.

"Have you thought about what I said on Monday?" The teacher asked, relaxing his arms on the table and intertwining his fingers.

"You mean about me having extracurriculars?"

"Lucas, come on. You know it's not about you having extracurriculars, it's about the  _amount_." He retorted. His voice remained calm, a careful trickle of concern planted in between his stern features — it almost made Lucas think he actually cared.

"Mr. Cooper, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. I did just as much as last year, and my grades never slipped or—"

"That's just it. Your grades are fantastic. You show up to class early, you turn in every assignment on time, you do extra credit, you tutor, you ace every essay and exam, and all that on top of your student council duties—"

Lucas frowned in confusion. Teachers want students to do the best of their abilities, to be smart, to finish all assigned projects, to not miss a lesson — but once you do all that, they become suspicious, or concerned that something deeper was going on. Lucas didn't understand why his academic abilities were somehow tied to his concerns. "I don't see how that's an issue. What, are you saying I'm  _too_ good of a student?"

"What  _concerns_  me is the recent change in your behaviour."

His face suddenly fell upon hearing those deadly words. His mouth went dry, and it hurt to swallow down the pain of his heart chipping away hastily as he visibly shook in his position, "My... behaviour?"

"Tell me, are you having trouble sleeping lately?" The man went on to ask, assuming the position as a therapist without his consent.

He's asking the questions that buzz through him like a chainsaw slicing up every limb. His mind was racing furiously, a mile a minute as he hurriedly tried to generate a thousand types of possible excuses to rid himself of Mr. Cooper's concerns as he shifted restlessly from one foot to the other.

"Perhaps feeling sudden bouts of anxiety?"

Fear and anxiety looped around him until there was no room for anything else but his pulse quickening in his ears, blood rushing aimlessly throughout his entire body, and a cold sweat to break out at the back of his neck, pooling into the material of sweater, while his hands shook rapidly.

The teacher glanced down at his shaking hands, before catching his gaze again, "Or  _unsteady_ hands?"

The boy quickly stuffed his shaking hands into the pocket of his trousers, forming every ounce of power within him to hold Mr. Cooper's penetrating gaze of dark pools of brown. It was like an intense staring contest, and Lucas could already feel himself losing.

"I've seen this before. I've seen bright students let their ambition outpace their available time and energy. And when those students find themselves overwhelmed, I've seen them turn to certain... _study aids._ "

Oh god. He knows. He knows. _He knows._ The boy's brain was screaming for him to run, escape through that door, and never return to these school grounds again — to live as a hermit under a bridge where he'd lay there and die alone. His whole brain flashed with a future he'd find himself in if Mr. Cooper found out his true self. The self he had locked away with a ball and chain. He had to figure out a way out of this, but first, he had to open up his mouth. "I..."

"Lucas, have you been taking anything to help yourself focus? Maybe to get a bit of an edge over the other students?"

Lucas felt like he was being interrogated by an FBI agent on a conspiracy theory, not his teacher questioning his abilities. It made his heart plundered wildly in his chest, and his ribcage fought hard to keep the animal contained. "I—I don't know what you're talking about." He sputtered out.

His anxiety soured, and plummeted when above them, the bright light flickered and Mr. Cooper focused his strict gaze on him, seemingly ignoring the faulty lights as he impatiently tapped his fingers on the surface of his mahogany brown desk. "If that's the case, you won't mind if I set a meeting with your parents and the principal. This is a very serious matter, Lucas. If we find evidence of wrongdoing, it may be grounds for suspension." He threatened.

" _Suspension?!_  I can't have that on my record!" He desperately yelled out in frustration. He thrusted himself forward and pressed his hands, hard, against his desk, feeling bouts of out-of-character aggression surge before him at the threat of his study gurgling down the train.

But the teacher ignored his outburst — seemingly satisfied that his threat struck a chord within Lucas — hopefully enough for him to admit his wrongdoings. He grabbed and uncapped a blue pen from the mug of pens and pencils on his desk, before reaching for the desk drawers. "It will  _all_  go on your record. Every detail. For every university and prospective employer to see. I'm sorry, Lucas, but this is a necessary evil. Someday you'll understand that I did this for your own good."

The man still emphatically looked at Lucas who was beginning to chew on his nails out of habit, right to the bone if he was so inclined, but he felt completely numb. He had no idea how he was going to climb out of this hole. Everything was too much for him, the dirt was caving in around him. If the teacher found out what he was  _really_ doing to get good grades, everything he had worked for will be destroyed. His parents will hate him, his life will be ruined, his future will be at stake.

Mr. Cooper can't know. But he could only watch, stunned into silence, as the teacher turned to open his desk drawer, but all the numbness subsided, and all feeling returned when he caught sight of something dark and serpentine writhing around inside, coiling itself to spring upwards.

"Mr. Cooper, look out!" Lucas shouted, suddenly.

But it was too late, because just as the teacher glanced up at the boy's sudden outburst, he dropped his head back down to the desk drawer, and his eyes blew wide with terror, as a black, hissing snake, lunged out of the drawer, and latched onto him. Out of instinct, he released a loud cry of pain, tumbling, stumbling and scrambling backwards away from the creature, as it menacingly worked its way towards him. "Get if off me!"

The creature slithered closer, across the linoleum floors, on its slimy, yet smooth stomach, while it never deterred its beady eyes from the prey it was advancing towards. It was hissing, baring its bone-white, and suddenly it striked, sharp fangs connecting with the soft, dark flesh of Mr. Cooper's chest, causing the man to scream louder than before.

"Mr. Cooper!" Lucas cried out, in too much shock to move until he spotted a broom in the corner of the room. Quickly, he darted towards it, and snatched it into his trembling hands before effortlessly swatting the snake across the classroom. "Get away from him! Mr. Cooper, are you okay?!"

The man whimpered almost non-coherent words, and Lucas had to strain to understand his mumbling, "...bit me... bit me, my chest, I n—need a doctor..." His shaking heads weakly reached out to touch the two fang marks imprinted through his shirt where a blood pooled stain remained. The venom was already settling in as Lucas watched in muted horror as the man's eyes rolled into the back of his head, replaced by milky whiteness, before he fell unconscious and limp.

The boy could only stand there, completely frozen to the spot like an invisible rope was tied around him, while his hands shook rapidly by his side. His mind buzzed with questions that he couldn't answer, his mind willed him to move towards his phone that was nesting in the back pocket of his pants, but he couldn't move. He didn't know how to move as his eyes trailed over the sight of his limp, and possibly dying teacher, but when a flicker of movement caught his eyes, he flinched and jumped backwards out of the way, movement coming back to him in waves, as the glistening slinky body of the snake vanished through the open door of the room and disappeared out of sight.

 **...**  


	25. eighteen

**018. 1871**  
 **(** chapter eighteen ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   
**WEDNESDAY. 8:20 AM.**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**WEDNESDAY MORNING CAME**  quick and early for Nellie who had been trying her hardest to catch enough sleep to make it through another day without falling asleep in the middle of eating breakfast. For the last three nights, sleep had come few and far between for her, and she couldn't even doze off without the sudden urge to shake herself awake when the feeling of someone watching her through her bedroom window, or a dark shadowy figure standing at the edge of her bed emerged. She'd open her eyes, and they'd dart around the room to find anything out of place — but everything was normal.

She had opted to bring Hilda into her room last night, with the promise of treats and an abundance of pats, the dog happily jumped onto her bed and fell asleep at her sock clad feet — she felt a hell of a lot more safer having a stinky pooch in her room rather than her waiting it out alone, but a part of her felt that even if an intruder had broken into her home that night, she had a gut feeling that Hilda would want to play with him rather than attack. But nethertheless, she constantly had to have some type of physical contact with her fluffy fur to ensure she was still there, her feet would brush up against her fur every so often, and she'd feel a little more safe.

Soon enough her alarm bled throughout the quiet room, and she's greeted by the morning dew kissing the glass of her bedroom window where Dan once stood in the midst of a dream. Not willing to dwell on it in such a chill morning, she silently slipped out of bed, entered the bathroom, stood under the spray of water until the steam of the warm shower fogged the room. She wrapped a towel around herself and scowled at the mirror in front of her at the appearance of a dark purple stain of a bruise the size of Jocelyn's fist painted against her jaw.

She was tossing up whether she should cover it with concealer and call it a day but that seemingly didn't work on monday when Jocelyn spotted the finger printed bruises lining her throat and accused her of having hickies. But ignoring it, she slipped on some casual clothes, and munched on a peanut butter sandwich, before leaving the house through the back door.

By the time she reached the bottom of her porch steps, Nellie immediately felt a type of strange tension — the type of tension that felt as though someone was right behind you, following her every move, copying her movements like a mime. She adjusted her backpack, clutching onto to the straps as she slowly maneuvered through her yard with a type of self-awareness of her surroundings. She froze completely in her steps upon hearing an odd sound coming from the direction from her shed.

Nervously, she chewed at her bottom lip until the skin cracked and peeled, "Hilda, is that you again?"

Though, she knew it wouldn't be her. Either she was dealing with a faint trace of amnesia and had completely forgotten what had happened in the past 60 seconds, or she hadn't seen Hilda bound through the back door and take off to the shed. But she might of had. Nellie would have preferred to keep her locked inside the house so she wouldn't run off if she saw a squirrel or a racoon rummaging in her backyard — but she also thought it was too inhumane to keep her cooped up inside the house all day. Not only that, but she didn't exactly want to come home with dog pee everywhere.

She cautiously walked along the cracked, and broken path leading towards the old shed nestled at the back of her yard — she took small, dainty steps, bordering on her tippy toes to avoid being too loud. She almost felt like a child sneaking around the house to avoid her parents after being punished, but this felt a little more daunting, and she felt like a stupid character in a horror movie as she neared the odd sound.

Finally, reaching the shed door, she pressed her ear against the wood, and trembled at the sound of a series of muffled rattles, squeakes, and thumps coming from inside the small building. "Please be a rat and not a monster." She whispered, praying to whatever benevolent being was out there to listen to her pleads. She steeled herself, clenching her hands into fists, and counted to three in her head, before finally, she shoved the door open with all her might, and a resounding battle cry.

But inside the shed, was Hilda resting on the doggy bed Cid had left the night before, perking up at the sight of Nellie — so, Hilda had exited the house without her knowing. Either she had completely lost her mind or Hilda had somehow teleported. Her eyes darted to a small movement in the corner of her eye, where she found a small bundle of black perched in an odd position on the table — and when she took a closer inspection, she realised it was an agitated crow croaking back at the battle cry she made.

His ebony feathers shun under the dangling light of the shed, and Nellie let out a chuckle at the little angry bundle of feathers resting against the work table, with his black beady eyes peering up at her as if she had woke him up from his slumber.

"Wait a second..." She looked closer, squinting her eyes in recognition as she took a few steps closer, watching as the little crow hopped backwards to avoid her, while his wing dangled awkwardly at his side. "Are you the crow Jocelyn smacked? How'd you get in here?" She asked, as if she could magically become a Disney princess and the crow could understand humans and speak back in fluent, perfect english. The crow gave out a little noise as the teenager tentatively held out her hand, and giggled tightly as the crow puffed out his chest and feathers in protest, glaring up at the girl with his suspicious eyes.

"It's okay, little buddy." She softly insisted, pulling her hand away so she could drag the backpack from her shoulders. She placed it down on the ground with a careful gentleness to avoid frightening the crow, and rummaged through it for a little zip-lock bag of trail mix she was planning to bring to school. "Hungry?"

He cawed in approval at the sight of delicious food in front of him, like a typical animal. He watched in curiosity and impatience as the girl placed the open bag of trail mix on the table beside him, and plucked out a peanut. The little creature cautiously hopped forward, black glossy eyes trailing on the delicious peanut in her head, before it quickly snatched it from her palm and happily nibbled on it.

She smiled warmly at the sight, and at this point she didn't care much if she was late for school. Babysitting an injured crow seemed more interesting than sitting in a classroom listening to the teacher drone on about the same uninteresting subject. The creature cocked his head at her, ruffling his feathers as if he was trying to make up his mind on whether or not he could trust her. Animals were so easy to gain the trust of — give them food and suddenly they feel comfortable enough to be in the presence as you.

Seemingly making up his mind, he swiftly hopped forward into the palm of her head, and snuggled up against her fingers. "Looks like we've got a new friend, Hilda!" She announced with a lopsided grin as Hilda jumped to her feet from her little bed and approached the commotion to examine the tiny ball of feathers in Nellie's hand. She let out a happy yip, huffing and puffing, bushy tail wagging behind her as she greeted the crow with her long strip of pink tongue darting out. "Careful, he's only a baby." Upon hearing her order, the dog gently nudged the crow with the tip of her wet black snout, sniffing him with great interest causing the crow to defensively puff up his feathers and peck at her nose. Nellie laughed as Hilda sneezed and shook her head furiously, "It's okay, girl. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Gently placing the crow back down the work table, she quickly gathered a bunch of twigs, cotton and hay from outside the shed and assembled the little crow a temporary nest for the time being, until she arrived home from school to help him out more with an even better home. He was happy enough, though, appreciative as Nellie gently examined his injured wing, and settled him in the nest. She moved the nest as well as the crow on top of the dusty filing cabinet away from where Hilda dwelt, not entirely wanting the overexcited dog to disturb him.

"There you go, you should be nice and safe up here." She should give him a name. Hell, she already named an inanimate object, Lucille. It's only fitting for her to name the little crow now that was going to keep her company. She pondered for a while, racking her brain for 'crow' puns — when she landed on a movie, she and her father used to watch a lot —  _'The Crow'_. It was perfect, Nellie was a sucker for movie/tv show references, hence the name 'Lucille' for her barbed wire bat. "Let's call you... Brandon Lee!"

The crow cawed happily at her choice, and she grinned at the sound, before picking up her backpack and slinging it back over her shoulder. She was about to take off, and begin her lonesome trek to school when she noticed a crumpled piece of yellowing paper on the table, right where Brandon had just been resting. Approaching the table again, she grasped the tender, crumbling piece of paper off the table, "Did you bring this here, Brandon?"

A part of somewhat expected an actual answer, but she settled for his caw in response. She gently smoothed out the fragile note, and her eyes began to wander over the old cursive, scribbled words that was slightly difficult to read over the effects of time. She felt strange, and apprehensive to read it. After all the content she found yesterday at the library, the flickering lights, and Ava's odd effect to reading it out loud, what if that happens to Nellie? She read it to herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_Dear E.B_ **   
_I write to you from the car of a train bound over the Rockies, a feat of modernity so spectacular I reel to conceive it._

_Alas, my mind is preoccupied by my destination (one Westchester, Oregon) and the curious package that started me on this expedition when it appeared in my university inbox: a photograph of dark trees... an inhuman silhouette... and five hastily scribbled words._

_'It Lives In The Woods'._

_The other faculty (and your father) think me mad to chase such nonsense. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps they've always been right. Or perhaps this time I shall prove them all wrong._

_— Goddard E. Filleus._

_September 29, 1871._   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


With the letter ending there, Nellie cocked her eyebrows up in both confusion and interest, all the while, questions spread across her brain like wildfire begging for an answer. Who was the author of the letter... and more importantly, what happened to him? It couldn't be a coincidence that a little crow had managed to find a two-century old letter and have it essentially delivered to her in her very own shed on a plot of land that was the most closest to the woods that surround Westchester, where the death of a friend, and the haunting of the past still roamed?

She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, placing the letter back down on the table and turned to Brandon as if she was expecting to have all the answers she wanted. She opened her mouth to question him — just in case, but she closed it as the creature began to preen at his feathers. She felt dumb expecting answers from an animal — and she wasn't exactly sure she did want him to talk back. It'd be weirder if he did.

With one last lingering look at the letter, she pinned it on the pinboard placed against the wall of her shed behind the worktable, and waved goodbye to her little zoo of animals as she took off for school, whilst Hilda snuggled into her bed, and Brandon settled into his new nest.

**...**

 


	26. nineteen

**019\. WE GOT SPIRIT, YES WE DO!**  
 **(** chapter nineteen ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON.  
_ **WEDNESDAY.** **6:01 PM**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 **IT HAD BEEN**  overcast since Nellie had woken up with the sky being awash in grey, she would nervously eye the sky and quicken her pace at the sight of wispy white clouds transforming into dark and dense clouds filled with unshed tears while the world around her smelt like an upcoming storm. The light of the day was barely able to penetrate through the blinds of the windows at school, and Nellie wondered if it was going to rain tonight — she hoped not. Having to walk home in the rain without a coat or an umbrella wasn't something she was excited to do.

The school day went by in a blur. Images merging together into a mess of miserable, unrecognizable faces sharing the same expression, colourful and dull clothes and scribbles of studies written loosely in graffitied notebooks. Time flowed like cement and there was only a number times Nellie could unlock her phone to stare at the screen before she could find herself going crazy.

Nothing much interesting had happened during the day, and if anything, she was far too distracted to pick up a pen to entertain herself. It only made the day drag on as her brain was filled with any possible answers of the mysterious letter brung to her by a little black crow written by an enigmatic author.

There was no doubt the letter was connected to Redfield. 'An inhuman silhouette', 'it lives in the woods'. That was textbook Redfield lore or at least that was what her brain could conjure. She could tell her academics were going to skewer — not like her grades had been anything to be proud of in the first place — but it had only been three days since school began, and Nellie doesn't think she had studied at all during them.

Her tormenting thoughts were abruptly silenced for the evening — hours after school had finished and the dark of night had replaced the light of day. On an ordinary day, Nellie wouldn't be caught dead at a high school function, or even sticking around at school once the final bell sounded off — but tonight would be the night where she would actually come out of her warm cocoon of bed sheets and blankets and show some school spirit for the high school basketball team — more specifically, to show support for Andy's game, and Stacy's cheerleading.

Those thoughts regarding Redfield will have to wait for later, because tonight was their night.

Nellie was quick to join the eager crowd of students shuffling towards the school gym to watch their team play in the first basketball game of the season. The crowd flowed like a wave, and Nellie struggled to regulate her heartbeat and keep her anxiety levels low all the while she was in the midst of ensuring she didn't suffocate from the amount of students in one area trying to squeeze through the doors. She instinctively looked around, searching for a familiar face, and she breathed a sigh of relief when spotted Stacy standing outside the front doors of the school, dressed in her cheerleader outfit, and mingling with the rest of the cheer squad.

"Hey, Stacy!" Nellie called out to catch her attention. Her head immediately spun in the direction of Nellie's voice followed by her dirty blonde curled ponytail that swung after her before a bright smile broke out on her face.

"Hi, Nellie!" She responded as Nellie jogged over to her. "Excited to watch the Westchester Wolves totally destroy the Anderton Cougars?" She beamed.

"You know it! We're gonna crush them! It's weird because ninety percent of the time I really hate this school. But right now..."

Stacy chuckled lightly as she fiddled with her big white bow tying her curls into pretty ponytail, "You kinda want to find someone from Anderton High and tell them how our school is ten times better than their dumb school?"

"Yeah, kinda." Nellie shrugged with a small smile, "Is that weird?" She added as she subconsciously rubbed her hands up and down her chunky, black woolen sweater clad arms to keep the warmth in. Nellie couldn't believe Stacy was wearing her cheer uniform out in this temperature with the short grey and white sleeveless dress that reached the middle of her thighs — but then again, Nellie was a cold frog, and couldn't handle the slightest drop of temperature, and Stacy would be jumping around, and doing tricks like monkeys, so clearly she wouldn't be too cold.

Nonetheless, Stacy grinned at Nellie's subtle show of school spirit, and shook her black and grey pom poms that matched her uniform, "Nope! Just means I'm doing my job!"

"Have you seen Andy at all today? How's he doing?" Nellie went on to ask, considering Stacy worked alongside him as she would be the one to cheer for his team.

But come to think of it, she hadn't seen many of her childhood gang members at all today. She might have seen Lily and Ava in passing, wandering the halls to go to their assigned classrooms for the period, but she hadn't seen the rest of them. Lucas was supposed to do a seminar at the assembly today but he ended up not showing up for it, she hadn't seen Andy today, not even in the gym practicing, but she couldn't blame him considering he witnessed a bear attack the day before — she couldn't imagine the gore he would have experienced. She hadn't seen Noah since yesterday, possibly stayed home from school, he commonly did that before the summer break she had noticed, and now she had only just seen Stacy.

After the bear attack that was announced in the assembly by Principal Flores about Ben's critical condition, everyone had been on edge. She felt terrible for him — even though he treated people like the dirt under his boot, he didn't deserve to be attacked by a massive furry creature twice the size of him. She didn't understand how anyone could still be in the mood to watch the game when one of their classmates who also was in the team, was in hospital, and with another student being hospitalised after being found in the middle of the woods. Not to mention, one of the teachers had been bitten by a poisonous snake and was in hospital recovering.

It took a lot of convincing herself to even show up to the school game now that strange animal attacks have been happening in Westchester. Beginning with the odd skeletal creatures in the woods, to the crows attacking Jocelyn and Cody — to the bear attack against Ben, and the snake bite against Mr. Cooper. Something strange was going on, that much was obvious from the get-go.

But Stacy only shrugged — seemingly not all too disturbed about the situation, "Based on his face during warm-ups... he's running on, like, seventy percent excitement and thirty-percent pure terror." Oh, so he was here, also not all too disturbed about Ben. Nellie wasn't sure whether to smile or be concerned.

"Jeez... he's probably feeling a lot of pressure right now, stepping in for Ben." She went on to say with a slight frown.

"What happened to Ben was so freaky. How'd a bear just wander onto campus? Oh my god, and did you hear about Mr. Cooper?" She rambled.

"The snake? Yeah, everyone's been talking about it."

"You don't think... I mean, could they be related? Like, what are the odds of two crazy animal attacks happening within twenty-four hours?" She said, shuffling from one foot to the other, all antsy and paranoid as if she was trying to hide a conspiracy from the rest of the world.

"Technically... there were three." Nellie murmured, thinking back to the crow attack on Cody and Jocelyn that still remained as evidence of the bruise from Jocelyn's hit against Nellie's jaw. "So, I think it was yesterday — Lily and I were walking home from the library when Cody and Jocelyn just started on us and just when things begin to get violent, these freaking crows bursted out of the trees and just... attacked them. There were hundreds of them."

Nellie ended up backtracking a bit more than she needed. There had to be some sort of connection between the animal attacks. The birds attacked Cody and Jocelyn when they started getting violent with her and Lily — then there was Andy Ben having a heated argument before the bear attacked them, and lastly from what she heard, Mr. Cooper was prying into Lucas' personal life, and then was attacked by the snake. Not to mention Ava's powers were used against Jocelyn when she hit her. These events were related — almost as if something was protecting them.

Stacy stared blankly at her, eyebrows furrowed as her brain calculated everything that had happened in the past couple of days. "This can't be a coincidence, right? It's got to be Mr—"

"Stace! C'mon, the games about to start!" The voice of Britney pierced into the conversation before Stacy could finish her sentence, causing her to flinch a little at the unexpecting interruption.

"I'll be there in a minute!" She shouted back as the cheerleaders began to saunter themselves into the building, aside from Britney who lingered outside with her hands on her hips.

"Oookay," She drawled, "be late if you want, but Couch Tanner told me to tell you that you're on  _thin ice_." She smirked, and winked at her, before she skipped after the cheer squad leaving Stacy to stare after her retreating form with a small, nearly missable scowl painted on her face as she anxiously chewed on her bottom lip.

"It's okay, we can talk tomorrow." Nellie reassured her with a light smile, and a gentle pat on her shoulder. And with a grateful nod from the cheerleader, she hurried towards the gym, leaving Nellie behind to follow — but just as she started after her, her body became cold and rigid when a pair of strong hands clamped down on each of her narrow shoulders.

"Hey,  _Nellie_ , long time no see." There was no need to even see the perpetrator's appearance to already know who it was. Jocelyn's familiar voice filled with fury was enough for Nellie to know, and Cody's the only one who would roughly grab her like that, as if he had the right to lay his hands on her like he did with every other woman he tried to woo into bed.

"Not long enough." Nellie growled back like a bitter dog, not taking anymore crap from them, but she had to bite back a laugh when she turned around and her eyes found their faces and arms covered in scratches from the crow's claws. They didn't seem all too affected by her aggressive display, seemingly all too used to it by now that they found it a challenge that she hadn't submitted yet.

"Aww, don't be like that! We missed you." Cody added into the conversation, slamming his strong hands down harder on her shoulder as if he was a eager massagist, digging his meaty fingers into the bone and roughly pulling her too and throw, like she weighed nothing, and was left feeling like Atlas holding up the damn world.

She tried to rip her way out of his grasp, but he only held on tighter, as if her shoulders were handlebars, and she wouldn't be surprised if his hold was strong enough to leave dark bruises to wake up to the following morning. Her eyes trailed up the length of Cody's forearm streaked with tuffs of light brown hair, and covered in dark scratches, exposed by the black muscle t-shirt he wore, followed by Jocelyn's smaller arms — but both their faces shared the mural of scratches and the same burning hatred in their eyes.

And from the strength Cody possessed with holding her in place, Nellie's heart lurched forward, breaking out in a cold sweat as she began to lose her own strength, "H—hey! Let go!"

"But we wanna sit by you during the game! We can do  _the wave!_ " Jocelyn suggested in feign friendliness.

"Or, you know, talk about what you did to my  _car._ " Cody sneered, digging his trimmed nails into her skin as he tightened his grip, and Nellie's stomach filled with an upcoming dread.

"Don't see how that's my fault when you're the one who was trying to hit me with it." She spat, her rebellion against him taking root despite the dread.

"Doesn't matter what I did. You punched my mirror and you're going to pay for it." His grip tightened. "Purple looks great on you, by the way." He added, eyes glancing towards the bruise on her jaw with a smirk.

"Hey... check out all those crows!" Nellie shouted the first thing that came to mind in hopes they'd freak out and run, and much to her delight, Cody jerked his hand away from her shoulders as if they were made of molten lava, and his head spun around to check his surroundings.

"C—crows?" He stuttered, attempting to suppress a shiver that rippled within him.

Grinning with a newfound empowerment, knowing she now had the upper hand, Nellie nodded towards a nearby tree dotted with dozens of feathered, little black silhouettes weighing down the branches they were perched on, appearing like deformed inky leaves. "Kinda creepy, right? It's like they're  _watching_ us."

Jocelyn nervously scratched at the claw marks that marred the back of her hands, head whipping around in vain. "I... uh... I have to go... over there." She excused herself before hurriedly taking off with her tail between her legs, followed by Cody right on her tail — but in their rush to get away from the crows, they nearly tumbled into the broad frame of Connor Green as he strolled over from the parking lot.

"Where are those two heading in such a hurry?" He questioned with a tinge of amusement in his voice as he approached Nellie, looking entirely different than usual. Still with his signature leather jacket, but how his lengthy dirty blonde hair was tied into a low bun at the nape of his neck, with a few frays of hair framing the length of his face.

"Who cares, as long as it's away from here?" She chuckled heartily, just grateful that they hadn't hurt her any further.

"I'm sensing that you guys aren't exactly friends."

"Wow, what gave it away?"

Connor smirked knowingly and motioned for her to walk beside him as they made their way through the doors of the gym, and pushed through the dozens of students, and visitors here to support their friends and family, all thrumming with excitement for the first game of the season with the opposing team from Anderton High gathered around to watch the match as well. As soon as they entered the gym, loud pop music pumped through the dusty, old speakers, mixed in with the excited ambiance of chatting people awaiting for the game to begin.

Nellie often prided herself on her bravery when facing danger, like her quick thinking had saved Noah, Ava, Andy and herself from being attacked by the skeletal creatures, her sharp tongue subdued Cody and Jocelyn's harassments and threats, but her bravery always blew a short circuit whenever she was surrounded by a crowd, with so many voices, and so many faces. A flutter of anxiety zipped within her abdomen, and Nellie had to clench her fist enough for her sharp nails to dig into the skin of her palm in order to ignore the cramping pain in her stomach.

Having Connor to her side made a her feel a little more at ease, but the flutter of anxiety was gradually spinning into a tornado with each step they made to a suitable empty spot, and with each person's eye that fell on her. She worried about what they were thinking. She worried that they may think she was sleeping with Connor — a boy who doesn't go to their school, as well as a boy who was older than her, people loved to gossip and spread rumours — a girl was hanging out with a boy so they  _must_ be together. Nellie hated that her bravery was strong in the face of danger, but when it came to a mere crowd, it plummets.

Much to her relief, however, they finally found a spot amongst the sea of rowdy Westchester High fans in the middle of the bleachers, and she could finally breathe again — no one even happened to even be looking at her, no one cared, at least that was what she kept telling herself.

"So what happened to Cody and Jocelyn? Looks like they both took a bag of angry cats to the face." Connor started as they settled comfortably on the varnish wooden stairs. He turned to her with an expectant look adorning his chiseled features for her response.

"Crow, actually." She corrected, "I think they're still a little freaked out about it."

"This whole place seems a little freaked out, if you ask me." He frowned, steel grey eyes staring at the basketball courts floor and a clenched jaw, as if there was something more he wanted to say, dancing on the tip of his tongue.

"Uh... what do you mean?" She pressed, hoping the dancers could slip out from the gates of his lips.

"Dunno, just getting a weird vibe... like something's wrong but no one wants to admit it." If only he knew what was dwelling the shadows of Westchester, though, Nellie didn't have much of a clue either. All she knew was something ghostly was creeping in the woods, hungry, and waiting for its next victim. She did her best to suppress a shiver at her own thought as she glanced up at the older boy, eyes chained to the floor as he worried his lower lip between his pearly teeth, seemingly not even aware she was looking at him.

"So, Connor..." She began in an attempt to rid the tension thrumming between them — Connor almost reminded her of an action hero in a horror movie wanting to save the world by getting to the bottom of what lies in Westchester. "Do you come to all the games?"

He seemed to be shook out of his trance by the sound of her question, as if the mere court was hypnotising him. He glanced at the girl and gave a resigned shrug, "Eh, I try to come to one or two whenever I'm in town... cheer for Stace, maybe say hi to my old shop teacher while I'm at it. It's also pretty much the only thing to do around here."

"That's harsh," Nellie chuckled lightly, "And also one hundred percent true." Truly, Westchester was as dull as dishwater — there's no surprise some naive kids took to the woods to play with a ghostly entity rather than staying at home ten years ago, though, that fateful day, she wished she would have stayed home.

At the base of the bleachers stood Stacy bouncing up and down on the spot to keep her adrenaline pumping rather than having it burn out and fade away before the cheerleading even started. Nellie's eyes trailed over her lengthy hair that bounced with each movement she made, her sunkissed features were alight with enthusiasm and pink with flush, she looked as pretty as she usually did, she didn't even have to try. As if Stacy could tell both Connor and Nellie were watching her, she spun around, smiled and cheekily stuck her tongue out at him.

"Heh, brat." He chuckled, eyes twinkling with brotherly affection for his younger sister, and Nellie couldn't help but smile at how their interaction was.

"You guys are adorable." She commented, though, she couldn't help the pang of jealousy that sunk her stomach like a ship in the middle of a battle. She didn't want to compare her family to his because from what Stacy had told her, her family life wasn't as perfect as it seemed — but the bond they shared was something she wished she could have had experienced with her younger brother if he hadn't have died in the womb due to complications. Or at least, she wished she could have a best-friend type bond with her parents like many other teenagers do. But alas, her parents decided on leaving their remaining child in a big, empty house, while they work day in and day out without a break.

She understood they need money to keep them afloat, the house was pretty, but the mortgage and bills weren't, but she missed how things used to be.

"We try." Connor replied, "Looks like the game's about to start."

Just as the words left his mouth, her eyes fell back on the court to see two teams with their respective jerseys on get into position for the jump ball to which Westchester Wolves took possession immediately, both Nellie and Connor cheered and clapped their hands in response.

Soon enough, the Wolves player drove down the court, but was soon trapped by an Anderton High, Cougar, defender. "Drew! Over here!" Andy called out to gain his attention. He waved waved his arms around behind him which had virtually no body in sight but just as he suspected, Drew looked at Andy, but as quick as he glanced at Andy, he looked away, picking up his speed as he attempted to get past the defender, but ended up losing the ball from his grasp. "Are you kidding  _me?!"_  Andy growled under his breath.

"What the hell? Andy was wide open!" Nellie cried out, a mix of frustration and confusion bubbling up to the surface. And with Drew not allowing Andy to take the ball, the Cougars scored an easy basket and the ball was returned to the Wolves, but once again, much to Nellie's growing annoyance, the ball wasn't passed to Andy again despite him being open and having a clear shot.

"Is it just me, or is nobody passing to your buddy down there?" Connor questioned, seemingly also picking up on the unnecessary avoidance the team had for Andy.

"It's definitely not you." She mumbled back, keeping her eyes locked on Andy's athletic frame like prey ready to strike. Even from her position on the bleachers she could tell Andy was growing angry — his flared nostrils, his lips were pressed together, and a tinge of redness was appearing on his pale cheeks.

By the time of the middle of the second quarter, Nellie was slumped against her seat, arms crossed over her chest as the Wolves were down by ten points, and no one had given Andy a chance. All around Nellie and Connor were groans of disapproval, disappointment and frustration at the game, some people had even shouted offensive slurs, terms and harsh words at the team. Nellie could understand their anger, but it didn't warrant them to spread hatred throughout the gym. Westchester wanted the team to win, there's no doubt about that — people love to win, but the team (who was already losing) was not willing to even  _risk_ having Andy shoot a ball — despite him being one of the best players. They're so hung up on racism that they're not willing to try.

Being a certain race doesn't impact one's ability in any sport, activity, or intelligence, but being racist was what was making the team lose this game.

"BOO!" Cody jeered from a few rows away from Connor and Nellie, "Someone score already!"

"Come on, Wolves! You can do it!" Stacy yelled in an attempt to egg on the crowd, as well as the team, followed by a scowl from Britney who threw her grey pom poms to the floor in frustration.

Try as they might, they still refused to give Andy a chance to shine. But with everyone shouting at them, it only added to the pressure as the energy shifted from excitement to disappointment to utter resentment — hell, even a few people left. Nellie could only watch the fire burn within Andy and wait for the fireworks to explode as his team still continued to avoid him like the plague. His friend, Ben, watched on from the bench with slumped shoulders and pursed lips, looking as though he was about ready to march out on the court and scream.

"I can't believe this..." Nellie remarked with a sneer coating her lips as she stood up from her seat, "I'm about to go down there and slap someone!"

It was an empty threat, but who knew with Nellie anymore. She was overly protective now she had something to fight for. Connor turned to her, wrapping his large hand around hers and gently pulled her back down to earth, "You're not the only one. Andy looks about ready to lose it."

It was like watching the calm before the storm. Down on the court, Andy's body got into a defensive stance, dark brown irises blowing wide as they track the ball with the intensity and concentration of a wolf hiding in the trees for the right time to attack, and his face was flushed with a determined snarl, baring his teeth for all to see.

Finally, one of the Cougar team members made a cross-court pass and Andy immediately sprung into action, taking off into the sky and snatched the ball out of the air with an exerted grunt like a cat bounding for its toy.

"Yes! Go Andy, go!" Nellie cheered, loud enough for even Andy to hear over the sound of a mix of shocked gasps and disapproving shouts, but even some other watchers cheered on for him as he headed for the three-point line, while the defenders scrambled to catch up to him. With perfection precision and agility, the boy shot the ball into the air, just as a Cougar player slammed into him from the side, causing him to stumble and crash to the floor, though his eyes never strayed from the orange ball as it soared through the air. Time slowed, Andy could hear his heart beat in his ears, could feel each fragment of sweat dripping from his hairline.

And suddenly, the ball swiftly landed through the basket.

The entire gym erupted in cheers, hoots, and hollers from the bleachers for the Andy's score — Andy could only beam as the referee awarded him with a free throw of the ball to which he effortlessly shot and sunk it easily. To his delight, the crowd roared like lions, overcome with excitement at the win, and even Nellie jumped to her feet and howled like a wolf — something she thought she'd never do. Show school pride. All around her, Wolves fan took up the howl until the sheer noise of their voices seemed to shake the whole gym as Andy and his team members grim and pump their fists into the air.

" _Hell yeah!_ " Andy shouted. Soon enough, the referee signalled halftime for the team and eventually the Wolves headed off the court to be replaced by the cheer squad to do their routine while they rest up.

"Come on, Wolves, let's hear you howl!" Stacy yelled, encouraging the crowd to show their pride, from beside her, Britney howled like a wolf, and shook her pom poms around just as the cheerleaders begin their routine. But, Nellie noticed Connor didn't seem heavily encouraged, nor did he seem happy.

"What's up?" She questioned him with a gentle nudge. He was over-the-moon to see Stacy cheer and support her, but now he just seemed distracted.

"Stacy seem off her game to you?" He asked, gesturing his head towards Stacy's clumsily dancing figure stumbling about and stepping on her own toes at the back of the formation as if she was a puppet being controlled by an ametur puppeteer.

Nellie had a hunch. After Stacy had informed Nellie of Britney's advantage she had over her, with her blackmailing video evidence she threatened to send out, that'd put anyone off their a-game — especially knowing that if she so much as even stepped out of line in the slightest, her life would be ruined and Britney would be flourishing been crowned the new Queen Bee — as if that ever really mattered. In a few years time, once high school was over, and they all graduated, the popularity reign so many students strived for will be meaningless. But Nellie wasn't sure whether or not she should tell Connor why Stacy was behaving the way she was — especially without her permission, so she lied, "Maybe... she's just stressed out."

He shook his head in denial, wisps of his dirty blonde hair shook with the movement, "Don't think so. Stuff like this was always how she got  _away_  from the stress. Gymnastics, dance, cheer... performing was always the one thing that helped her escape from whatever other crap she was dealing with."

"Crap like your parents?" She said with quiet sympathy laced in her feminine features and a little sad smile tracing her lips.

Connor sighed, subconsciously tapping his foot against the bleachers beneath his feet, "Yeah, I gave up on my folks a long time ago. To me, they're just a couple of unpleasant strangers who happen to live with my sister. But Stace... I don't even think she could ever cut them out like that. She's too good of a person."

"And you're  _not_  a good person?"

"Not  _too_  good." He jested with a charming grin.

Eventually, the cheerleader routine rolled to an end, and the second half of the game began, after the team had rested and rejuvenated their strength and stamina. Throughout the third quarter, Andy was still thriving on the court, sinking ball after ball. He was in his element, and he was drenched in the cheers and compliments from the crowds, and even some of his team members showed him respect due to his wins, and all he wanted to shout was 'I told you so'. He put the rest of the team to shame, and by the middle of the fourth quarter, the Wolves were only down by one point, making a strong comeback due to Andy essentially carrying the team on his shoulders.

"Holy crap..." Nellie whined in anticipation, biting her nails as nerves shot up and down her spine like electric static.

"Huh! We actually might win this." Connor commented, clicking his tongue in approval and watching as Tom's lithe frame replaced one of the team members, and was no dribbling the ball between his lanky legs.

There's cheering from all around them, coming from the Westchester supporters, getting louder and louder as time went on. Tom grabbed a rebound and started to dribble the ball up the court effortlessly. A Cougar defender blocked his way causing the teenager to stop in his tracks knowing he had no other way to go, and search for another way out quickly. He shouted Andy's name, catching his attention, and immediately passed the ball to him with seconds left on the clock. Everything went in slow motion as the ball soared through the air and landed in Andy's hands. Nellie could see the way his muscles flexed under his team uniform, and she almost wanted to close her eyes as he pivoted, and shot the ball through the air, all the while the entire gym collectively held their breath, and finally...

... the ball dropped straight through the basket.

The crowd roared, surging to their feet with claps and hoots at the win like he was royalty. Everyone rushed to the court to find the winning teenager standing amongst the team, practically picking him up and spinning him around as a chant began to rise over the noise,  _"KING KANG, KING KANG, KING KANG, KING GANG!"_

Nellie soon followed shortly after, sprinting from her spot on the bleachers and down to the court with a wide grin as she joined the group hug rapidly forming around Andy. "We're number one!" She cheered, "Long Live King Kang!"

"My first royal decree is for everyone to  _party!"_  He announced, beaming with a certain happiness Nellie hadn't seen in a long time.

"You were incredible out there, Andy! I always knew you were the star of the team." The boy released himself from everyone's hug, and instead pulled her into a seperate one with his lean arms wrapping around her slender torso, and squeezing her with all his might.

"Thanks, Nellie! I can't believe this is finally happening! I knew that if they just gave me a chance..." Just as he trailed off with his sentence, Tom came barreling towards him like a hurricane, destroying everything in his path as he pushed himself through the tight knot crowd of people surrounding him and threw his lithe body at him, wrapping his arms him in a bone brushing hug.

"We did it!" He shouted, and with his thrumming adrenaline, he pulled away and yanked Nellie into a hug, to which she wasn't expecting but squeezed him back just as tight. "C'mon, Andy, we've gotta hit the showers! Coach is taking the whole team out to the diner to celebrate!"

Andy turned to Nellie, "You should come too, Nellie! Desserts on me, King Kang is feeling generous."

"I might take you up on that!" Nellie laughed at his words, and soon bidded goodbye to him as he followed the rest of his team to the locker room. Now alone amongst a sea of strangers, Nellie looked around in search for her own companion during the game — her eyes trailed over the mass of brunettes and blondes to find the telltale sign of a black leather jacket and long blonde hair, which didn't take long considering leather jackets were practically seen as out of style. He was waiting by the door leading to the corridor of the school, and she quickly jogged over to him.

"Hey! You heading out?"

"Soon, yeah. Gonna see if I can talk to Stacy for a minute first. You want a ride home?" He offered, with what appeared to be a glimmer of hope within his eyes, or maybe it was just the lights of the gymnasium that twinkled his eyes.

She was definitely considering it. It was around 8PM now, and she definitely didn't exactly want to be stuck walking home in the dark — people tend to get stranger at night. "Maybe... I might be going to the diner with Andy and the team."

"I could run you over there, or pick you up after, if you want. Just let me know. It's a nice drive this time of night." He smiled bashfully, only urging her on a little more. She nodded with a sheepish grin before they both handed each other their phones and exchanged numbers — now people were definitely going to assume some things. Connor have her one last lingering look as if he was worried for her safety on behalf of her walking home late at night, but she didn't say anything, just watched as he took off to find Stacy in the crowd. She could only smile to herself and exit the building where the brisk cold of the outside world shall meet her.

The crowd began to disperse, trickling out of the building like a lazy river, they walked towards their cars and drove home for the night while chatting excitedly about the game. Nellie just sat the bus bay in thought of what she should do tonight. She could hang out with Andy, have dinner, and celebrate his win — it looked like she was the only one out of their childhood friend group he invited so she felt like she was obligated to show up, or she could just get a lift home with Connor, and see Hilda and Russell, and snuggle up in her blankets. With all the thoughts she had running through her head, and with the day she had sapping all the energy she had out of her, she decided, with a grumbling stomach, she was hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

**━━━ ∘◦ 💀🌙 ◦∘ ━━━**

 

 

 

 

 

It didn't take her long for her to enter the diner — not with her noisily rumbling stomach demanding her to feed herself. Come to think of it, Nellie doesn't think she ate at all today. She was feeling nauseous throughout the day, and even thinking of food made her feel sick. But, she was sick of eating noodles and sandwiches for dinner, and even she was just going to order a burger, it was better than nothing.

The diner wasn't that far away from the local library and the cafe shop, which reminded her of the absence of Lily, Ava, Noah and Lucas — which to be fair, didn't surprise her. Ava and Noah weren't the high school spirit type of students, Lily usually would usually come but was probably still shaken up by the crows knowing her, and Lucas, well, after what he witnessed with Mr. Cooper? She doubted he would have been in the high school spirit. She couldn't blame him.

The diner was what you'd imagine existed in the 1950s. It was retro, with red booths sat against large glass pane windows, creamy coloured tables stationed between the booths with delicious freshly made milkshakes served, retro posters on the white painted walls, and black and white diagonal tiled floors. As soon as Nellie entered through the doors and the bell above signalled her arrival, she felt as though she had been teleported back in time.

It was the diner she and her childhood friends would visit from time-to-time when they were kids. With the supervision of their parents, they would order burgers and milkshakes — Nellie always had the chocolate one — and they'd colour in the provided colouring-in books till their food arrived. It made her feel sentimental walking into the diner, but it looked different, but only a little. It still had the old, retro charm to it, but it had been upgraded. The early 2000s register with the multitude of buttons had been replaced with a mini-touch screen computer. The familiar faces of the coworkers who ran the place when she was a kid, had been swapped for younger people who beamed at the patrons with the enthusiasm only a newly hired worker would have. She hadn't been there in a while, and it showed on her shocked expression.

"Nellie! Over here!" Andy's voice called out, snapping her out of her dazed musings and waved her over to where him and his team sat at the back of the diner. He grinned at her when she made her way over, scooting closer to Tom and patting the empty seat beside him for Nellie to take to which she smiled in appreciation and slid into the booth beside him.

"Hey, Andy, Tom." She greeted, waving a little awkwardly. Tom looked different without his usual basketball jersey, now he was dressed in a white hoodie and black jeans that hugged the lankiness of his legs.

"I'm really glad you made it! Took ya long enough, I didn't think you'd show." Andy jested, eyes alight with mirth.

"And miss out on this riotous display of bro-ness? Never." She jabbed back, a playful smirk tugging at her plump lips, "So, Andy..." She cleared her throat obnoxiously as she would if she were a news reporter interviewing a witness on the scene of a crime, and scrunched her hand into a fist like a microphone and held it out for him, "You've just led the Wolves to victory... how does it feel to be on top?"

Andy chuckled at her impression of a news reporter, and soon grinned sheepishly at her, ears reddening with a tinge of appreciation and embarrassment, "Aw, come on, Nellie, it was one game. The whole team really came together."

She cocked an eyebrow and rolled her eyes at his humbleness when both she, and him, as well as Tom, knew damn well that without him the team would have lost and if they had given him the chance in the first place, they would have absolutely destroyed the team. "You're so full of crap." Tom asserted, voicing her own thoughts. "My man Andy here is what carried us to victory." He added, looking around at the rest of team members and encouraging them to start rhythmically banging their fists on the table, followed by the chanting of 'KING KANG'.

Blush rising to his pale cheeks, Andy gave Tom a grin and a playful nudge to the ribs, only causing Tom to laugh at his reaction, before he left to chat with some of the other teammates, leaving Andy and Nellie alone. "You're really close, huh?" She began now that Tom was out of earshot.

"Me and Tom? Yeah, we're pretty tight," He shrugged loosely, "I knew him before I met you, even. He's my oldest friend."

"I can tell. It's obvious you two have each other's backs."

"Yeah. When I first started on the team it was... kind of hard, I guess. But at least I always knew Tom was gonna be there too. It made things a bit easier." He explained, his facial expression showed the fondness and affection he had towards him, and Nellie couldn't help but smile at the knowledge that Andy had someone during the decade they had apart, someone he could lean on when times got tough for him. Tom was a great guy, and he didn't treat Andy any differently after his transition, and supported him throughout.

"How'd you guys meet?" She went on to ask.

"Our parents are friends from college. We've been hanging around each other since we were in diapers."

"I'm going to need to see baby pictures for evidence." She said in jest.

"Evidence of what? Our friendship?" Andy shot back with a playful smile.

"That, and also just  _aww, tiny little baby, Andy!"_

"Pretty sure my mom's already shown you all the embarrassing baby photos. We used to be  _friends,_ remember?"

His words felt like a stab to the heart with a sharp twisted knife. She physically felt the blow of a punch and her face scrunched up into a grimace like wince. She shouldn't feel this much hurt over it, but she did. As if it was her fault, she felt the damage of the ten year separation they endured — she couldn't blame them for the rift that had been created. But, she had to ask. Things had been going well between them for the past three days, "We're friends now, too... right?"

Andy's dark almond eyes locked with her own icy blue ones, and he smiled softly, helping to ease the pang of worry in her chest, "Yeah... yeah, of course we are."

But still, she felt horrible. She wished she could just go back in time and try harder. The words eased her pain but still, everything that came between them, all the years they refused to talk, refused to dredge up old memories — all the time she could have supported Andy properly throughout his transitioning, or helped Noah through his trauma and guilt of his sister passing. All the things she could have done but didn't because she was too much of a coward to open her mouth and say something.

She gave him a pathetic wobbly smile and looked away as quickly as she could before her emotions flooded out through the gates of her eyes in the form of shameful tears. "Good, I'm glad." Luckily, Andy was too distracted by the approaching bubbly waitress who essentially bounced her way over with their meals and placed them carefully on the table along with their drinks with the enthusiasm Nellie could tell was fake. Who'd be happy to work in a diner restaurant with barely enough payments to scrape by?

They happily ate, and Nellie's stomach grumbled even more to the point that she couldn't hold back on her chocolate milkshake and the deliciously cooked burger. Soon enough, the bubbly waitress bounced back over asking if they wanted dessert and Andy turned to Nellie.

"What do you think, Nellie? I did promise you dessert." Andy reminded, handing her the dessert menu.

She wasn't sure if she could fit any more food in her stomach, but with Andy's hopeful expression she couldn't say no. Her eyes traced over the multitude of cakes and ice creams images as well as their respective titles, but her eyes mainly landed on the prices. She remembered the food being cheaper when she was younger — she chose the least expensive item for Andy's sake, "How about... a slice of black forest cake."

" _Black forest cake?_  Haven't you had enough of spooky, tree-themed things for a while?" Andy humored.

"Not when there's chocolate involved." He could only chuckle at her response and place the order. Not too long later, the woman came back out with a gigantic slice of cake and placed it right in front of Nellie who's eyes widened as big as the plate it sat on. It came from a layered sponge cake, the inside being a delicious fluffy vanilla and the outside having dark chocolate icing with details of a forest and a full moon in the sky of freckled sprinkles. "Oh my god, look at this thing. I can already _feel_  the cavities."

"You're gonna share, right?"

" _Share?_ I thought it was a thank you gift! No take backs!" He ignored her cries of protest and proceeded to pick up a fork, and attempting to poke the fork into the cake, but she fended him off with her own fork.

"En garde! I will have that cake if it's the last thing I do!"

"Have at thee, cake thief!"

After joining in fits of laughter, fencing over a slice of cake, Andy threw up his hands in defeat, allowing Nellie to win her fight and take a bite of the still warm surface. She brung the fork to her mouth and purposely and obnoxiously moaned in delight just to annoy Andy as the spongy layer of cake gave way and her taste buds sang under the chocolaty flavour. "Nellie... you're a pretty amazing person, you know that? I'm really glad you're back in my life." He stated.

"Yeah, me too." She smiled, using the napkin to wipe at the chocolate crumbs that hid in the corner of her lips, and just like that, her worries of regret had vanished into the air. She wasn't there for them during their ten year separation, but she was glad she had the opportunity to be there now.

 

 

 

 

 

**━━━ ∘◦ 💀🌙 ◦∘ ━━━**

 

 

 

 

 

Nellie's slender fingers tapped against the screen of her phone as she typed out a message to Connor, deciding to take him up on his offer and pick her up from the diner since it was getting pretty late, and not only did she need to be home to feed Hilda and Russell, but she didn't exactly fancy walking home in the dead of night. Surprisingly though, she was pretty wide awake. Usually Nellie would be tripping over her own shoe laces from how exhausted she was, but while she was sitting outside the diner, awaiting for Connor's familiar muscle car to roll up and save the day, she had to remain vigilant.

She took to softly humming to herself as if her making noises will scare off potential attackers. Perhaps she was a bit too scared of being out in the night — Westchester wasn't a bad town, it didn't have many crimes to warrant her being frightened, but being out in the dark was instinctively threatening. The cool air was nice on her prickling hot skin, it blew her wispy brown hair like tendrils of grass in the wind, but she kept her arms wrapped around herself, as if she was protecting herself from the world.

Soon enough, the easily recognizable rumble of his engine could be heard and she quickly lifted up her head to catch the culprit making the noise. Catching sight of Connor's chiseled features, his bad boy leather jacket, and muscle car, eased her pounding heart, and when he nodded at her, gesturing for her to get in the car, she quickly complied, and bounded over as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. She opened the door and hopped in the comfortable passenger seat of his car, buckling herself in and relaxing against the warm seats and the soft music playing from the radio. His car was really nice, and expensive. The dashboard glowed in a neon blue against the dark theme of the car, and by the looks of it, it was definitely a new model, that much she had figured as he pressed his finger against a screen and turned down the music instead of manually turning a dial until it was a mere faint whisper in the background.

"So do you think—"

What have you been—"

They both laughed at each other as they stopped themselves from interrupting one another as the car lazily drifted along the road of the deserted town, now that most of the towns population was winding down for the night. Street lights illuminated the road they took with glowing lights joining in with the buildings lit with internal lights that helped brightened the roads slick with evening dew. It was peaceful when no one was awake.

"Did, uh, you get a chance to talk to Stacy?" Nellie was the one to speak first, playing with the loose thread of her shirt out of habit.

With one hand on the wheel, and the other resting on the gear stick, he shifted through speeds without a second thought, effortlessly slowing down the car when prompted, and speeding up when needed. He turned his head towards the girl in a quick sweep of his eyes before turning back to the road. "I did, yeah. She didn't tell me what was up, but she was pretty excited about the game. I'm glad you guys are hanging out again. I can tell it makes her happy."

"I'm glad too. I don't know if it'll stick... but it's been nice having everyone together. It's been kind of lonely without everyone."

"I could see that. You guys were inseparable back in the day." He went on to say, "So, how's life lately? Sounds like things have been pretty crazy over at the high school."

"Yeah, things have been... uh, complicated..." She trailed off, with a sad frown tugging her features as she gazed out the windshield, dotted with drops of sprinkles from an evening shower. Connor's hand stroked soundlessly against the wheel as he turned the corner, but then he stole a glance at her with a raised eyebrow, though he didn't pry more than he needed to. "Um, what about you? What's... your plan for the future?"

"I'm not sure actually. Got a few things I enjoy doing but I'm not sure if there's  _one_  thing I'm ready to do forever."

"Doesn't that scare you? Not having anything nailed down?"

"It's actually pretty awesome. Plus, it gives me more time to experiment... I like to consider myself kind of an artist."

"Wow, that's pretty cool. What kind?"

He smiled lightly at her as she unknowingly gave him an opportunity to talk about his hobbies and interests instead of a boring, one-sided conversation, he was glad she was trying and willing to have a riveting chat with him as he drove through the town and headed towards the drop off, where the street lights were replaced by an abundance of trees that the headlights illuminated, "I'll try anything, but mostly sculpture. Learned how to weld this summer and I've been trying my hand at scrap metal art. I really just love working with my hands... there's nothing like it."

She cocked a lazy eyebrow up when her mind began to think of something inappropriate due to his words, and she quickly wanted to smack it out of her mind and not be weird, but she also wanted to see how far she could go. She wasn't one to flirt, hell, she was an ameatur at it, but she had to start somewhere, even if it happened to be her friends brother. "I bet you're  _good_  with your hands." She said with a smirk that soon turned into a laugh when he groaned at her comment.

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" He countered, hiding the hint of a dusty rose tinge rising to his cheeks.

"Little bit. But that doesn't mean it's not true, right?"

"Mostly it means I've got a lot of calluses. My hands are kind of gross."

"I'm teasing. I wish I was good at something as cool as making sculptures. Most of the time, I'm just trying to stay afloat."

"I'm one hundred percent confident that you'll figure it all out." He reassured her with a sure smile.

"You're pretty into this whole 'I'm so  _much_  older and wiser than you' shtick, aren't you? You're only two years older than me!"

"I know, I know. Honestly, Stacy always gets pissed when I tease her about still being in high school. Which obviously means I do it all the time." He chuckled as he turned his wheel to drop off to the left to reach the long stretch of road that led to her private property, her house, to which she smiled at considering he still remembered her address, or at least remembered the directions.

"Best brother ever."

"Seriously though, you're gonna be fine. If a screw-up like me can get by in the real world, then  _you're_  going to take it by storm."

"Thanks, Connor. I really appreciate that." She cheekily smiled at him just as he reached the destination of the driveway to her home and slowed his car down to a stop. "Thanks again for the ride. It was... really nice. Also informative."

"Next time, let's talk about you. I'm feeling a little exposed." He jested with feigned embarrassment. He covered his face with his large hands and let out a boyish giggle.

"Next time, huh?" She pressed with a smirk.

He changed his words as quickly with a dusting of red blushing across his nose, "Anytime you need a ride, Nellie, you know where to find me."

"I guess I do." She added, before opening the car door and stepping out — she could feel the gaze of Connor's eyes sweep over her frame, but he didn't say anything more, only waved goodbye and drove off into the night. Upon finally reaching her yard, she made a beeline for the shed to quickly check up on her little zoo of animals after the big day of them being alone without her. They were bound to be hungry at this point.

"Hey, bud! How's it—" Her friendly greeting was soon cut short when a shocked scream tore through her vocal chords at the sight of Brandon, the crow, flying out from the rafters and landing on top of her head. "Well, seems like  _someone's_ feeling better already!" She acknowledged as the crow fluttered from her hair and landed back in his nest, beginning to prod at something with his inky beak. Curious, the girl stood on her tippy-toes to look closer at what he was fiddling with, only to see yet another yellowing letter in his test. She reached out her hand to grasp the letter but could only yelp when the crow puffed out his feathers and squawked angrily. "Hey! That might be important!"

The bird didn't even seem to listen even as she crossed her arms over her chest with a stern look as she glared at him. With a sneaky smirk, the girl plucked out a leftover granola bar from her backpack and waved it around invitingly. Instantly, the bird fluttered over to perch on her hand and while he was busily pecking at the treat in her hand, she quickly extracted the note from his nest and began to read the partially ripped crumbled page.

_Dear E.B_ _  
_ _Do you recall our endless discussions beneath the old oak tree? As I settle in Westchester, your words echo in my ears, speaking of reality and ritual... known and unknown... and the ancient wilderness that lives between..._

_I confess I am bewitched by this somnambulant woodland town. But there is a fog here, E.B_ _—_   _the gradual tension of boundaries ill-defined and shifting. Every soul in Westchester seems to acknowledge it... but none dare to speak its name._

_A dark current courses beneath this town. I mean to trace that current to its headwaters... and chart them for all the world to see._

_— Goddard E. Filleus._

__October 1st, 1871._ _

"Why does this sound so familiar?" She questioned — though it was clear to see. Whoever Goddard E. Filleus was, he knew something was brewing in Westchester, though everyone else was unaware to it. She shook her head, knowing how far away she was to understanding the truth, and instead pinned the note beside the first one. Inch by inch she was unraveling the secrets of her birthplace, but yet she was no closer than before.

Nellie could only pray something would come out of these odd notes Brandon had found.

**...**

 

 


	27. twenty

**020. HER VENGEANCE**  
 **(** chapter twenty ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   
**WEDNESDAY. 7:45 PM**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**STACY**

**STACY GREEN FOUND**  herself lingering in the female locker room now that the majority of the cheer squad had left to go home after the triumphant win of the Westchester High's Wolves, leaving her a chance to piece together a suitable act to go home with, had she went home in a bad mood and a foul attitude, her mother would tear the house down and Stacy wouldn't hear the end of it. The steam of the showers the cheerleaders recently took still choked the air, and Stacy was blinded by the mass amounts of pink stained everywhere around the room — pink painted the walls, pink tiled the floors, even the damn sink counter was a disgusting hot pink because apparently the colours of their locker rooms dictate which gender should get changed in what. Stacy was so irritated that the goddamn colours of her locker room made her want to grate down her teeth until they were dust.

She felt alone, but that was a good thing. Now she was finally able to put down her front and cry, to wallow in self pity without an audience to watch her perfect visage be rendered into a blotchy, snotty wreck. She could only stare at her own reflection with a look that bordered the line of disgust, as her bloodshot grey eyes darted over the features that many people admired, many people envied, except for her. Britney made her feel disgusting. Britney made her feel like the dirt under her expensive brand name heels. Each time Stacy felt good about herself, empowering, stunning, Britney would tear it down before her high self-esteem could rear its ugly head.

Britney.  _God,_  Stacy wanted to relish in the painful bruising of her knuckles as she hit it against Britney's perfect little face until it resembled nothing more than pig slop.  She had never felt this much anger, and resentment to another human being than she did in this moment. Cheerleading had become nothing more than a chore now that Britney held the reins, forcing her to dance and perform like a jester, tripping, stumbling and falling just to make her look better in comparison.

Stacy could only angrily knuckle away the lone tear running down her blotchy cheeks, as she refused to look away from her reflection in the mirror, even as her plump lips trembled, and her shoulders heaved with emotion, and her steel smokey eyes were brimmed in red. "I don't know how much of this I can take..." She whimpered, fighting back the urge to release the floodgates of her eyes, and weep with combined anger and humiliation. Knowing how much of a tight leash she was on by Britney was stressful enough that Stacy hated waking up in the morning, and having to plaster on a fake smile to her parents to prevent them from questioning her.

Stacy knew from the start that Britney wasn't a trustworthy person, and she hated herself everyday that she broke down in front of her, broke down her facade and cried into her arms, allowing Britney the perfect opportunity to use her weakness against her. And she definitely loved the power she had over her, because now she can be the perfect pretty princess now, and Stacy will merely be a jester, breaking her back just to make her laugh.

She sighed heavily, and rubbed at her makeup tear-stained face, destroying the evidence of her weakness, but she could only violently flinch as if expecting a strike just as the teenager she had been sobbing over, plopped her pastel pink purse down heavily on the counter next to her. "Jumpy much?" Britney quipped, "Guess I'd be on edge too if I'd just made an ass of myself in front of the whole school." She snickered, slender tanned fingers rummaging through her purse and pulling out a tube of shimmery lip gloss before slathering it on her plump lips.

Stacy could only emit a low sounding growl in her throat, like a wolf ready to strike, but thankfully Britney didn't hear it, and could only see her glaring at her through the reflection of the mirror, with smoky eyes that resembled a forest fire, and hands balling into tight fists at her side, because at this moment, she was blinded by her hatred, blinded by her frustrations. "You know what, Britney? Get away from me."

And Britney had the audacity to be offended by her statement, pulling the lip gloss tube away from her lips and turning to her with a look of surprise and insult,  _"Excuse me?"_

"You heard me." Stacy snapped, the words tasting bitter on her tongue, "Why don't you go back to whatever hell dimension you back-hand-sprung out of?"

Rage twisted within Britney's pretty features, delicate face shaping into a snarl, starting with her slacked jaw, rigid, and clamped shut, teeth grinding, and ending with her piercing brown eyes, squinting at Stacy as though she was a tiny ant under her shoe, but a mere moment later, all evidence of anger slid from her face, and was replaced by false grin, "Wow, I really thought you'd have learned by now, but I guess you really  _are_  as dumb as you look."

Stacy's mouth snapped open to retort and defend herself but froze, face falling fast like vomit, body locking up like the effects of rigor mortis as the bronzed teenager swiped her expensive brand name phone from the pocket of her denim jeans, and after a few quick taps of her manicured fingers against the screen, and Stacy's uneasy tightness in her chest, Britney showed her a draft of a Pictagram post, now yet posted, of Stacy's tearful face framed above a dozen of cruel hashtags.

"Aww, look how sad you are." She teased, lips pulled into a pout, eyebrows furrowed to resemble a cruel, taunting imitation of sympathy as she pressed hard down on Stacy's raw and fresh wound, "I tried to pick a thumbnail where you could really see the snot."

All Stacy could feel was anger, and all she felt now was how much she hated her with a burning passion, how she could her blood boiling beneath the surface, her fists clenched at her side ached to hurt her. Britney knew exactly how to be a fly on the wall, knew which buttons to press in order to force someone to submit to her every demand, she knew how to flick Stacy's anxiety switches, and the things that make her sad. But she held her tongue, at the breaking point of her patience, her jaw was wired shut. "Britney..." She could only warn, a pathetic voice that attempted to remain stern. Her pinched eyebrows furrowed as she glanced back up at the taller girl.

"You know, Stace, I super appreciate everything you've done for me, but I feel like it's time to take our friendship to the next level. Your parents are gonna be out of town soon, right? For that convention or whatever? You know what that means...  _party at Stacy's house!"_ She sung with a knowing grin on her face.

Stacy shook her head profusely at her suggestion, or rather,  _order,_ "Britney, no! Mom would kill me!"

"Yeah, but what would she do if..." She trailed off, her voice taunting and lilted with knowing, her manicured thumb hovered dangerously over the 'submit' option, each second tugging on Stacy's anxieties.

"Britney," Stacy's not above begging even if it was something silly. Britney having this much power of her life, her relationship with her parents, and her mother's campaign, she could ruin not only Stacy's life, but her family's, and that was enough for her to beg, and plead, almost on her knees, even if she didn't want to give an evil bitch like her the satisfaction, "You don't want to do this."

"I kinda do, actually. I post this, your mom grounds you forever, I get to be cheer captain. Plus,  _so_  many Pictagram likes. Really, it's up to you to give me a reason  _not_ to post it. So, party at your place?"

Really? The only reason why Britney continued to use that video as blackmail was because she wanted a reason to become cheer captain? To ruin Stacy's life, and become the leader of a team that won't matter once they graduate. However, even if the cheerleading spot wouldn't matter, her life as the mayor's daughter would be ruined, so after a moment of hesitation, Stacy sighed, "Okay."

Britney grinned wickedly at her, and threw her bag over her shoulder with a smirk as she headed out of the locker room, "Yay! I'll let you know when I've worked out all the details. Byyyee!"

As soon as the door slammed shut, the tears Stacy had been holding in burst forth like water from a drain, spilling down her face. There was static in her head, a side effect of the constant fear and stress she lived with, as raw child-like sobs escaped her throat. The walls that held her up were crumbling down around her, successfully destroyed by Britney's barrage of bullets against the stone. The salty tears drench her t-shirt, and all she could do was sink onto the floor as if the world could swallow her up.

A shrill scream pierced into the air, echoing throughout the locker room and forcing all the colour from her face to drain. It was a scream that unlocked some type of painful adrenaline within her that she never realised she had, as her head perked up, immediately sobering up from her pity party, at the wild screams of panic, a scream of hysteria. "Britney?!" She hesitantly called out, ignoring the feeling of her blonde hair standing at the back of her neck. Immediately, she stood up from the floor and took off into a sprint, exiting the school to follow where the scream came from, only to stop herself in her tracks when her eyes fell on a mossy, skeletal creature barings its teeth at Britney.

"S—S—Stacy... Stacy, do s—something." Britney whimpered with trembling hands as she begged the girl to help her, but Stacy could only remain there, frozen in place, completely, and ultimately in disbelief that the thing Nellie, Noah, Ava and Andy saw in the woods was true, and it existed, and it's right there, in front of Britney, about to attack. The plant creature lunged forward ruthlessly, snapping its sharp teeth around Britney's bag, clamping down like a piranha, and tearing it from her grip, sending all the contents of her bag to fly over the ground.

"Britney, run!" Stacy yelled, and upon her direction, Britney hauled ass, sprinting like lightning towards her car with the creature right on her heels — she ripped the door open, and dived straight into the car, slamming the door shut behind her before the creature could leap into the vehicle with her, all the while, screams bellowed from her lips.

Stacy summoned up her courage to rush over to Britney's car just as the skeletal beast slammed its body against the metal of the car door, denting it with its body in the process releasing the sound of crumpling metal and crackling grass as the car shock with the weight. Britney could only scream in horror through ragged breaths, sweaty hands fumbling with the car keys with tears blurring her vision.

A part of Stacy felt oddly satisfied seeing Britney's horror filled-face as she pleaded for her to help her. She could feel her eyes watching her, lips trembling as Stacy pulled out her keys from her handbag, grabbing the tiny can of mace from the keychain, before she edged closer towards the creature with small calculated steps. The creature only stiffened at her presence, whirling around to face her with its ember flamed eyes, "Er... good... tree... thing. Just l—leave her alone." Stacy demanded, but cringed at the nervous stutter.

Seeming ignoring the cheerleaders demands, the creature took a single step towards her, and then another, getting closer, and closing the distance enough for Stacy to flinch away, squeezing her eyes shut as she murmured soft prayers to herself, awaiting the sharp fangs of the creature to pierce into her flesh and bone, her heart raced and punched at her rib cage, until the sound of a confused growl forced her eyes to slowly snap open, because in front of her, wasn't her blood coating the maw of the beast, her body was intact, and the creature was standing in front of her like a friendly dog, with Britney's purse clenched between its jaws.

It smiled at her, with sharp skeletal teeth — or at least that's what Stacy thought as she frowned in confusion. It jerked its head, tossing the purse towards her, and she could only watch in disbelief as the purse slid to her feet, spilling the rest of the contents on the sidewalk. From the car, Britney watched on intently, but hid behind her car seat so only the top of her head could be seen, when the creature turned to look at her and then back to Stacy, and then finally at the ground, more specifically, the expensive phone, with her telltale pastel cover lying at Stacy's feet.

"Did you... is that..." She questioned as if the creature would respond. Her wide grey eyes trailed over the beast trying to figure out what that thing was — it wasn't something of this world. It had the skeleton of a dog, as if someone had dug up a dog from the pet cemetery and used some voodoo magic to resurrect it, only for it to come back with bones instead of fur. It stared at her, expectantly, as if urging her to grab Britney's phone, but before she knew it, the creature gave her a grin, then dashed past her, vanishing into the trees without leaving a mark on her skin. "Britney, are you okay?" She called out, eyes darting to the car.

The teenager only glared at her through the cracked window of her car, her face flushed red with fury, "Was this some kind of sick prank?! Did you, like, dress up some filthy stray dog just to mess with me?! _Look at my car!_  Oh, I cannot  _wait_  to see what happens when I post that video of you. I bet money on boarding school."

Ignoring her spitting threats, Stacy slowly crouched down to pick up Britney's phone from the ground and scoffed as she deleted the drafted post and rummaged through the gallery on her phone, "What, _this_  video?" She sneered, holding up the phone screen to show her the video of Stacy's sobbing confession, right before she snatched it back from Britney's reach and hit delete.

" _No!_ " She cried out.

"Um, I think  _yes._  Looks like you're out of—" Though, before she could finish her sentence, Britney's phone pings with a new notification of a message, and on a whim, Stacy clicked the pop-up and opened a message chain of a chat between Britney and Jocelyn.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**

**BRITNEY**  
Im telling u every girl on the cheer squad would be so useless   
w/o me leading them  
Jasmine's toe touches are TRAGIC.  
 _read 7:32 PM_

 **JOCELYN**  
Ok but Marisol's been killin it  
 _read 7:32 PM_

 **BRITNEY**  
Only cuz that lil snake wants to be cheer cap. Over my DEAD BODY.  
Her bf was totally eye-banging me at lunch today.  
Maybe if I took him for another little ride it'd teach Marisol who's boss around here...  
 _read 7:33 PM_

 **JOCELYN**  
Lol u r so bad!!!  
 _Read 7:51 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Holy crap, Britney." Stacy breathed out, eyes scanning over the messages with her jaw dropping in shock. It was clearly something Britney didn't want people seeing, or knowing, that she was trash talking members of her team, and sleeping with their boyfriend, and it proved true when Stacy turned towards the teenager to find her struggling to open her mangled car door to reach her.

"Stace, seriously don't—" Britney warned, reminding her exactly how she reacted when Britney threatened to post the confession, but now the tables had turned, and Stacy couldn't help but smirk.

"Sorry, what were you saying? I didn't hear it over the sound of you trash-talking literally every single one of your 'friends'." She snapped, and even if she despised Britney's power she held over her, she could now understand how much it felt good, it felt good seeing Britney splutter for a response in an attempt to soothe over everything between them in such a short span of time.

"Listen, Stacy, I was... I was only kidding before. You know I really wasn't ever gonna post that video? I'd never—"

"Never what?" She spat, "Humiliate me? Exploit me for shopping money? Make me jeopardize my spot on the squad so  _you'd_ look good?" And for the first time throughout their entire friendship and since she'd known her, Britney looked truly terrified — not ashamed from what she said, or did, not embarrassed by her actions and her fake emotions, but terrified for her own skin, as Stacy could easily ruin her life, just as she could with hers. Stacy sneered, kicking Britney's ripped purse towards the car, but she kept the phone in her hand.

"Stacy please, if the girls knew—"

"They'd totally hate you? Don't worry, I know what it's like to be afraid all the time. I'd  _hate_  for you to feel the same way." She smirked, "And you know what? I suddenly  _do_  feel like having a party... but I think maybe we should have it at  _your_ house."

"But..."

Without another word, Stacy turned on her heel and walked away with a bit lipped grin, in an attempt to hide her excitement, as well as the power she now possessed. She was so brave, and the courage she had to disrupt Britney's reign of terror made her feel like a hero. She tucked Britney's phone safely into her pocket, and turned to find Britney sobbing into her hands at the wheel of her mangled car, "I'll let you know when I've worked out all the details! Byyye!"

She didn't know what the hell that creature was, or what planet it came from, but all she knew was that karma was a bitch, and Britney surely had it coming for a long time now.

**...**

 


	28. act six

 

 

 

 

 

a strange game  
the only winning move  
is not to   
play

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 6.**  ❛ A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW. ❜

**'LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, YOU'RE STILL IN THE DARK.'**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

//

chapter twenty one ──  **021\. THE NECROMANCER**  
chapter twenty two ──  **022\. CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE, LUCAS?**  
chapter twenty three ──  **023\. GOT A SECRET, CAN YOU KEEP IT?**  
chapter twenty four ── **024**.  **DAN'S NOT HERE ANYMORE**

//


	29. twenty one

**021\. THE NECROMANCER**  
 **(** chapter twenty one ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 

 _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._  
TEN YEARS AGO.  
 **SATURDAY. 12:34 PM.**  
  
  


 **IT'S QUITE STRANGE**  toimagine how ancient the woods that surrounded the small town of Westchester would be. Surviving through forest fires, the erosion of time, human overpopulation, and the implantation of cities feeding the world toxic fumes. Trees thick and old, baring oxygen and shade, baring a home for animals, lay planted, or remained since the dawn of time, only shoved to the side, or chopped down to import roads, and buildings, industries and toxic fumes evaporating into the atmosphere, choking the air humans breathe and slowly killing off the world — but somehow it's the civilians fault that the world was dying, not the mass amounts of industries and companies using the earth, their home, as their own personal playground while they blame the people for the pollution. Somehow, a single person, using a plastic straw rather than a paper one, was what was killing the world, not the fact that although people were beginning to recycle their waste, and take care of their world, still pollution had increased because industries and corporations decided to dump metric tons of pollution into the air and ocean, killing off a part of the ecosystem, or decided that allowing fumes and oil to slowly feed on the earth was the only cheaper alternative, killing off its population one-by-one to smash them back to day one.

Though, when you're a kid, greenhouse gases, and the effects of climate change against the world wasn't much of an issue you dwell on, and what they'd give to not be self aware once they grew up.

But for now, the sound of childish giggles spilling from the mouths of eight children could be heard echoing through the woods, mixing it with the drone of insects humming their songs as the forest came alive in greeting. They throw their heads back with the infectious laughter only small children could possess, little frogs croaked as the soft pitter-patter of their dirty rubber boots stomped and slapped against the grassy forest ground damp with drops of morning dew while their messy hair whipped around the frame of their cherubian features.

Under their weight, leaves and twigs snapped, and their small hands reached out to brush away the leaves and lowly hanging branches that tugged at their once cleaned clothes that came onto their path — they could already see the disapproving looks their parents were going to show once they came back home — but their sweet, joyful laughter ceased the moment they reached the familiar dilapidated ruins sitting still amongst the crooked dead trees and muddy forest floors.

The carcass of the trees' branches appeared more like shadowed arms reaching out to grab them as it stretched along the ground, and along the ruins. It appeared just how Nellie and Jane remembered it as they nervously approached it. It had been a week since they found the mysterious Redfield and the lone derelict structure still remained, continuing to fight against time and gravity. The building lived under a constant shadow, as if each time the sunlight reached it, it would shrink away as if it burned. It felt cold, just as the two girls remembered, and it hadn't felt any different since their last encounter.

When they recounted the story to their group of friends, they were surprised to hear their disbelief — for a bunch of eight year olds you'd think they'd hang onto every word they said, but they instead found themselves excited, and filled with childish naivety and wonder to see if what the girls saw was true — even despite the horrific description they gave, perhaps they saw it as another adventure, but Nellie and Jane saw it as a villain they must seek to destroy.

The curiosity of young children would always be their greatest weapon, but also their greatest downfall.

Nellie's skinny legs slowed to a halt once the ruins came into view, followed by the rest of her friends as they skidded to a stop. All at once they peered up at the building as if it was nothing more than another hiding spot if they wished to play hide and seek until their eyes focused on the peeling paint, the rotten wood, and the broken ceiling as Nellie gestured wildly with her arms to gather their short attention spans, "See? It's right where we said."

"Holy crud..." Daniel Pierce voiced, a mousy little boy with wide sienna eyes trailing over the building, his expression suddenly dispirited.

"You guys were _for real?_ " Andy Kang exclaimed, hair long and dark fixed into two pigtails that fell in waves against the round frame of his face, and suddenly his excitement to see what the girls were so adamant to reveal had vanished, not when the ruins appeared like an eerie backdrop of a horror movie.

The children had humored the idea of Nellie and Jane seeing or rather  _hearing_  an ominous disembodied voice echoing throughout the ruins followed by them being tossed around like ragdolls by the sudden strong gust of wind, although it was pretty hard to believe — but who  _could_  believe such a thing? It's one thing for a bunch of kids to venture into the woods on their own without parental supervision, but it's another when they begin to hear voices in the ruins, calling out to them, and then launching an attack — if anything, adults would assume there was some child predator hiding in the ruins attempting to lure them in, but the kids were far too blissfully unaware of the strange happenings in Westchester, things that were not grounded in reality.

"Told you so!" Jane grumbled, crossing her thin arms over her chest for extra measure.

Not to their surprise, Ava Cunningham saw a silver lining — whether it be just because she found interest in the creepy and the strange, or not was up to perspective. With admiration beaming in her dark brown eyes, she turned to the girls, thick lips twitching into a smile, "Aw, man! Is this where the monster grabbed you?!"

"Yeah, it was right in the door there." She explained, her small finger pointing towards the wide opening of the ruins where just days ago she found herself screaming for her life.

 _"Coooool."_  Ava drawled, earning a scowl from little Noah Marshall's eyes glaring from beneath the long curls planted on his forehead.

"It's not cool!" He shouted, forcibly cutting through Ava's excitement and flicking the curls out of his eyes as he stomped over to Jane with narrowed eyes and a frown spread across his boyish face, "Jane, I can't believe you came back here and didn't tell me! You could have gotten hurt!"

"It's okay. Nellie was here to protect me." She reassured him, eyes alight with admiration as she turned towards her best friend with a grin, though, Nellie didn't return it. The confidence she had for Nellie was sweet, heartening, truly, but she couldn't help but find the detrimental effects it had each time Jane relied on her. Nellie was younger by a year, a kid, just like the rest of them, the responsibility of keeping another person safe from inhuman beings shouldn't be lying on her small shoulders.

"Y—yeah, I know but—"

"So what exactly happened again?" Lucas Thomas interrupted, plucking at a stray hair that was stuck to his black sweater. As straight to the point and perceptive as ever.

"Jane and I got close to the door, and then Redfield tried to suck us in, like a big vacuum." Nellie explained again, suppressing a shudder as the memory of the chill, harsh wind slipping her off from the ground, and the screams of terror from Jane resurfaced.

"Wait, 'Redfield'? How do you know its  _name?_ " Stacy Green questioned, face filled with an uncharacteristic grimness.

"I asked, and he scratched it out on the floor."

"And then he stole my necklace!" Jane whined, words flying from her pouting mouth like rumbles of thunder, seemingly more angry about the loss of her necklace rather than the fact that she and Nellie could have been seriously injured, or killed because of their blatant ignorance and curiosity.

"Aaaah, that's so creepy! I love it!" Ava cheered.

From behind the group of children, the small voice of young Lily Ortiz called out, voice shaky and filled with anxiety, gathering the group's attention to find her face settled into an expression of disgust as she poked at something earthy and grey with a random stick. Upon further inspection, the young girl paled as it laid on its side, eyes open but unseeing, feathers matted by the rain, and filthy by the dirt. "Aww, there's a dead bird over here! This place is weird! I want to leave!"

"No way! Let's go in there and kick that things butt!" Andy demanded, Nellie wanted to scoff. What use could a bunch of eight year olds have against something they couldn't even see.

"I think we should stay outside." Nellie insisted, assuming the role as a diplomatic leader, bright blue eyes glaring at the building as if her eyes could catch the ruins alight in flames. She remained calm, even as her friends began to bicker on whether or not it was a good idea to go inside and fight, or remain passive on the outside, away from certain death.

"Nellie's right." Stacy agreed.

"But what if we got Connor to come and record it on his new phone?" Ava suggested, "We could send it to those ghost hunter guys on TV!"

"No way!" The blonde protested, "I am  _not_  going in a creepy hole to get eaten, _especially_ with my stupid brother!"

"Well, I'm not going if Stacy doesn't." Lily bargained, voice brimming with panic, even as both Andy and Ava scowled at their friends.

"You guys  _never_ want to do anything cool!" Ava barked with a roll of her eyes.

Though, before Nellie could defend herself from Ava's sudden hostility towards their rightful apprehension and fear of what lies beyond the stone walls of the delipidated ruins, a sudden high-pitched shriek pierces into the still environment, silencing the wind, the trees and the critters that dwelt in the woods, shaking the children out of their arguments. They collectively paused like a deer's sensing danger, their eyes darted around the clearing for the source of the noise until Jane bounced up, body relaxing, but her eyes were wide with excitement, "That's my whistle! Mr. Red, he's—" Then, her voice deepened, cherubic face shadowed in anger, "He's makin' fun of us!"

From all around them, Jane's whistle kept trilling along with the wind — seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once as the children search for the sound. It wasn't loud, but nor was it quiet, it was gentle, breezing through the trees like birdsong, surrounding them with an energy of cheerfulness until Nellie realised where exactly the noise was emitting from. The more she focused on the old abandoned ruins, the more she came to realise the noise was coming from inside — as if daring them to come after it, luring them into a sense of security.

Noah seemingly heard the same thing, and had the same idea, because he shook his head scornfully, crossing his lanky arms over the chest of his striped sweater, "Well, that settles it. Now we're definitely not going in."

"What? Why?" Jane snarled, turning towards her twin brother and yanking his forearm into her grasp with all the strength her little body could provide.

"Uh, 'cause it's _obviously_  a trap!"

"Exactly!" Stacy scoffed.

"Dang it... you guys are right..." Ava accepted in defeat, voice quiet and disappointed, but Nellie was glad now they were all on the same page.

"Sorry, Jane." She murmured, gently patting her soft hands down on Jane's small shoulders with an apologetic smile. To her surprise, Jane shoved herself away from her, shrugging out of her gentle consolation, with her tiny hands balled into tight fists, face just as red as her hair. She listened intently as the mocking of the whistle continued to trill from the ruins, beckoning them closer, and with that she stamped her feet on the ground.

 _"Screw you_ , Mr. Red!"

All at once the children gasped at Jane's inappropriate language, but she was too upset to apologise as they turned away from the ruins in disappointment, some sneered at Nellie and Jane for wasting their time, perhaps eager to see Mr. Red only to come to think that they were lying, and while the others walked hurriedly behind them, wanting to get out of the woods as fast as they could. Their dejected gazes fell on their shoes as they made their way through the clearing until the sound of the chirpy whistling died down, and if Nellie strained hard enough, she could hear another faint sound coming from the ruins.

"...wait..."

It was soft, and easy to miss if she wasn't focusing, but the voice shared the exact disembodied eerie whisper as the echo had when she and Jane first visited the ruins, wobbly whispers not speaking in any human tongue, rising and falling with the wind like ghostly entities bobbing in the waves.

She turned back around, halting to a stop, followed by the rest of her friends who paused at her movements, but before she decided on ignoring the voice, something tiny flew out of the opened door, soaring through the warm wind before bouncing at the feet of Jane. "M—my whistle?" Jane stuttered as she crouched down to retrieve it.

"...give back... stay... sorry..."

" _Dude!_ " Dan exclaimed in disbelief, lunging himself forward to check if Jane's whistle was real or just a figment of his imagination.

"What kind of monster _apologises?_ " Lucas questioned.

Voice filled with hesitation all bravado was sapped from his attitude in an instant, Andy asked, "Sh—should we... talk to it?"

Everything was quiet and still, the earthy sounds of the wood seemed miles away in that moment, and all Nellie could register was her heart beating loudly in her eardrums, bashing against her rib cage like an animal. The group exchanged hesitant glances with each other, at first seemed suspicious and disappointed, now shocked to hear that Jane and Nellie weren't lying when they recounted their story, but now they're unsure of who was going to be the one to bite the bullet and talk to Mr. Red. No one wanted to step forward in a hurry, so Nellie took that as her chance. She summoned all her courage and bravery into one big intake of breath, and stepped forward.

"M—mister Red? Why did you grab Jane and me?"

It took a few short moments before the voice responded, "...sorry... lonely..."

"Aww. He sounds so sad." Dan commented.

"Oh yeah, _that's_  not weird." Stacy cut in drily, "You guys are so gullible! I can't believe you just—" Before she could finish her insult, a sudden gust of golden leaves blew throughout the clearing, surrounding the group of kids in a slow golden tornado, as if the leaves was a ward and protection.

"G—guys, look!" Lily called out, emerald eyes bulging from their sockets as she pointed her chubby finger towards a bundle of slender vines, slithering and writhing across the clearing like green, leafy twigs of snakes before they seized hold of the dead bird she had been prodding at earlier with a stick. The tiny birds limp body flopped around bonelessly in its tendril grasps as the vines hair-thin roots permeate through the dead flesh like veins, pouring life into death like air into lungs. They watched on as the little creature was brought back to the land of the living, flopping onto its side with its tiny feet clawing at the air.

"No frickin'  _way!_ " Andy blurted out.

The bird happily chirped from its position on the ground as it jerkily stood to its feet as if it had merely took a tumble from a tree branch, not crossed the land into death's embrace. The bird looked relatively normal, its grey feathers were intact and fluttering against its sides, its heart was beating with life, and its head was twisting and turning as if it had woken up from a trance. It turned to Nellie's confused and amazed expression that soon turned to horror when she caught sight of the bright ember flames flickering and burning where its beady eyes should be.

"...Wow..." Lucas crooned, eyes just as wide but his upturned grin showed how bewildered he was. Even an intelligent boy such as himself couldn't explain this — no one could. It was practically some type of black magic bestowed from a necromancer — nothing could resurrect a dead being without some type of power in the making.

"Did you guys SEE that?!" Ava cried as she bounced up and down with glee.

"Mr. Red brought the bird back to life..." Nellie murmured to herself as if she was explaining what she just witnessed to her short-circuited brain still buzzing with disbelief.

"It is alive?" Lily questioned, peering over at the small curious bird still resting where it had been restored, "It looks sick or something. I don't think I like this..."

"Are you kidding? This is amazing!" Dan responded, chuckling as he jogged towards the bird and watching as it flew away to avoid him.

"I still don't know..." Stacy replied, still as weary as she was before.

"Well, Nellie and Jane are the ones who got grabbed."

"Yeah, true. What do  _you_ guys think?" Lucas added.

"Um... hm..." Jane pondered, eyes following as the bird flew overhead, before she turned to Nellie with an uncertain expression.

"I think we should be really careful. Mr. Red might  _seem_  cool. But it could also be a trick. We don't know anything about him."

"Yeah!" Stacy agreed.

"But  _I_  want to be friends with him!" Ava complained.

"Let's make a deal. We'll all come back here tomorrow. But we'll be careful and stick together." Nellie bargained, giving her friends an expectant nod.

Andy nodded along, "That's a good rule. We only play with Mr. Red if _everyone's_ okay with it."

"That way we can watch out for each other." Lucas added into the rule pile with an excited grin.

"That sounds good to me. Everyone agree? Nobody visits Mr. Red alone?" Stacy said.

"Yeah. Everybody plays together." Nellie concluded with a bright smile at her friends who all grinned with her.

"Agreed!" Lily shouted.

"Sweet. Let's pound it." Ava beamed, scrunching her dark hand into a fist, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow suit. With all their fists together in a circle, Nellie found Jane's eyes, locking with a warm gaze as Jane smiled a toothy grin at her, clutching her whistle tightly to her chest.

"Sweet. Back to my house for lunch? Mom's making mac and cheese!" Dan chimed, removing his hands from the circle.

"Oh man, we gotta go! Mrs. Pierce makes it with  _hot dog pieces!_ " Ava called, already making a beeline through the clearing.

With a giggle, Nellie and her group of friends turned to head home, but she paused when Jane turned towards the ruins with a wave. "Bye, Mr. Red! We'll come back and play with you again tomorrow!"

As they all leave the ruins behind, the once-dead bird gave a final screech of farewell to the young kids, its amber eyes burning brightly in the shadow of a nearby tree.

**...**

 


	30. chapter twenty two

/

 **022. CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE, LUCAS?**  
 **(** chapter twenty two ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   
**THURSDAY. 3:10 PM**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**LUCAS**

**THERE WAS A** subtle type of stillness within the air throughout the school day, Lucas had noticed, like the apprehension of a ticking time bomb counting down the seconds to an explosion that could lead to a slaughter. He wasn't sure if anyone else could feel the same sense of unease as if someone was watching him through the crosshairs of a gun, or if he was just overreacting while waiting for the bloodbath that was yet to come. The day felt paused and frozen in time — the wind died, the leaves ceased to breathe, the American flag fell to the pole, his hair didn't blow, and his eyes didn't blink.

With the violent happenings of the past few days in Westchester, with the odd animal attacks against Ben and Mr. Cooper, Dan being found in the woods, and the reemergence of Redfield and his skeletal minions of which Nellie, Noah, Ava and Andy had experienced, Lucas was glad that although the day felt eerie, that at least today was a little more quiet than usual, though a part of him still remained cautious and on edge. It was an eerie sort of tranquility, the opposite of what the word meant, instead of it soothing his senses, it only heightened them.

He wondered if the students around him were pointing the finger at him, blaming him for placing the snake in his teachers desk draws. They must already know that Mr. Cooper and he often butt heads, and they must assume that Lucas played a hand in it considering he was the last person to see the teacher. Throughout the day, he wasn't sure whether he should be paranoid that someone might sneak up on him from around the corner, berate and belittle him, or worse — ruining the still calmness once and for all and welcoming back the hostility of the previous days.

And as he wandered the halls after the final bell signalled the end of the day, he picked and chewed his nails until the skin around the edges began to peel, and the nail itself was jaggard almost to the skin while he relayed every single stress-induced thought upon him until he found himself outside the wooden door that lead to Principal Flores office.

Her name appeared in bold letters on an engraved door sign, and the soft rush of panic awaiting to be fed or starved couldn't help but make him feel as though he was about to knock on the devil's door. Principal Flores wasn't a bad person, she was understanding, and she was empathetic, but for a good student like Lucas Thomas, a straight A student with nothing terrible on his record, any sort of confrontation from the higher ups felt like a deal with certain failure on his behalf, and that was something he would rather die than experience.

Lucas sucked in a deep breath as he eyed the door, his honey eyes skimming over the rich wooden texture and the silver door handle. He straightened out the collar of his sweater, and patted down his gelled brown hair, subconsciously wanting to appear at least presentable, and he finally raised his fists to softly tap his knuckles against the wooden door.

He waited a few moments, his stomach shifting uneasily where his arms wrapped around in a sense of comfort and reassurance, every muscle in his body twitched and ached like an addict itching for a release, he wanted to chew at his nails some more, to distract himself from his ticking heart, but they were already bitten and frayed, anymore nibbles would surely injure him. Finally, a soft voice could be heard from inside the room, the Principal signalling for him to come in.

Pushing open the door, Lucas' eyes glanced to the woman sitting at her dark brown desk, fingers tapping away at the desktop computer keyboard with practised ease. The office was painted in white, with a pop of colour appearing in a clock and four silver framed images sitting above the desk, two of which showed her diploma and identity, the other an award she had won, and the last a mere image of a desert with a motivational quote that did nothing to ease Lucas' anxiety. To the right of the desk was a bookshelf with files of which he presumed to be information on students and the like, and golden trophies.

The Principal seemed distracted, eyebrows pinched and lips formed into a thin line as she concentrated on her report. She was smartly dressed in her black blazer, and navy blue button-up shirt, with her aged features made up and her golden brown locks pleasantly mixing with her golden brown skin, flowing towards her broad shoulders. Finally, she glanced up, brown eyes noticing Lucas' presence, and she spoke, voice soft and welcoming, "Lucas, come on in."

Nodding, the teenager nervously took a seat on the lonely offered green chair in the middle of the room, ignoring the cold sweat glistening on his furrowed brow, and praying that she didn't notice it.

"I thought you ought to be the first to hear the news about Mr. Cooper... considering you were there for the attack." She went on to say, the words not intending to sound accusatory, but to Lucas' bustling mind, felt like a personal shove as his heart jumped at the memory of the snake sinking its deadly fangs into his teacher.

He knew this was what the conversation was going to entail, but he wasn't prepared for what he was going to say. Most importantly, he was worried for Mr. Cooper's life, whether or not he made it out alive. He clasped his hands tightly to his clenched stomach that felt as though it wanted him to desperately release his lunch all over the floor. "Don't tell me he's..."

"Mr. Cooper is stable. The EMTs were able to administer an anti-venom... thanks to  _your_  quick actions." She smiled gratefully at the boy sending a rush of relief through his body that she wasn't blaming him for the attack.

"Uh, it was nothing. Really."

"It was certainly  _not_  nothing. The hospital said another ten minutes, and Mr. Cooper could have died. He's lucky you were there."

In truth, he felt horrible that Mr. Cooper was attacked by a poisonous snake, and he felt horrible that he was now suffering with the after effects, but a selfish part of him was glad that it happened. The teacher was growing suspicious of Lucas' behavior, and he was just about to schedule an appointment with his parents and the principal to discuss it, as well as threaten to suspend him, and if that snake hadn't had appeared when it did, Lucas' track record would vanish right before him, and he would have to say goodbye to a good university and a career in the future. He felt guilty enough as it was, and having the principal praise him for helping him, felt wrong. He didn't deserve it.

"Yeah... lucky..."

"Now, there  _is_  still the question of how a rattlesnake got into Mr. Cooper's desk in the first place..."

The fear travelled quickly in Lucas' veins, but thankfully it never reached his facial muscles. His face remained stagnant, but his voice betrayed him. "Um, d—do you have any theories?"

"Well, to be honest, I was hoping  _you_ could help with that. Have you heard anything? Chatter in the halls? An odd text message?"

"Me? Wait, I don't understand. Am I not a  _suspect?_ " Although he was thankful she hadn't caught on to his stuttering and his lies, he was confused as to why he was given the benefit of the doubt. 

"What? No, of course not! I mean, if you were any other student, sure. But we all know you're not capable of something like  _this!_ " She exclaimed, seeming to not notice the tension successfully leaving the boy's body knowing that he wasn't going to be blamed, "Besides, with all your extracurriculars, I bet you barely have enough free time to catch a  _movie,_  let alone a rattlesnake."

All those years of being tempted to rebel but not going through with it, all those years of people teasing him for being a good boy, or a teachers pet, had really paid off in the end, because even if he hadn't done anything wrong in the first place, wasn't the one to sabotage or hurt Mr. Cooper, but knowing he was more than likely the only suspect, he was relieved to be found innocent without an interrogation.

"Uh, yeah. Good point..." Lucas chuckled lightly, feeling the swirl of sickening anxiety dispitate before his eyes.

"So, any ideas?"

"I have no clue." He answered truthfully. There was no way it could have snuck in on its own without anyone noticing, and besides, how could a snake managed to slip into a _closed_  desk drawer without anyone tampering with it themselves? It could have been a prank, but what kind of person would put a poisonous snake in someone's drawer as a prank?

The Principal could only sigh at his response. They weren't getting very far on the reasoning behind the attack. "I was afraid you'd say that. Damn. I mean,  _darn._ Actually, no, I  _do_  mean damn. It's bad enough we've got bears and wild dogs. Now we have  _snakes,_ too?"

His unsettled eyes glanced up at the clock above her desk, subconsciously worrying his bottom lip, in an attempt to avoid her eyes. "Um, if I hear anything, I'll let you know." To which he earned a simple nod from the Principal, before she returned back to her computer.

"Thank you, Lucas. That'll be all."

With one last smile sent in her direction, Lucas rose from the uncomfortable plastic green chair to leave, already trying to bite back the giddy feeling in his chest knowing that he survived the heat from Principal Flores as he headed towards the door to leave, but just as his hand reached out towards the door knob he froze when she spoke up.

"Oh, by the way... I got an email from Mr. Cooper about setting up a meeting with your parents, but he didn't say why. Any idea what's that about?"

As soon as the words left her lips, his eyes grew large and glazed over with fear because he thought he thought he was free from the wrath of his parents once they found out what secret he was hiding, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. He clenched his teeth, blinking away the water glazing his eyes, as he slowly turned around and choked down the rising bile in his throat.

"Oh, uh, Mr. Cooper wanted to talk to my parents about some scholarship. I, uh, I forgot the name. But that's what we were talking about. Yesterday morning. Before the... uh, before that happened." Through his teeth were lies that flowed freely, he almost felt proud on how well the lie was executed, but his pride simmered when his eyes latched onto the way the Principal was studying him intensely.

"Hm." She simply grunted, still smiling.

There's a bead of sweat pooling on his forehead, and he gnawed on the inside of his teeth until the bitter taste of blood coated his tongue, as his eyes darted between the Principal's odd smile and the clock above her that seemed to be slowing down to a snail's pace.

"Well, that sounds promising. We'll have to ask him about it after he wakes up." She chirped, grinning at the teenager.

"Wait,  _wakes_   _up?_  What do you mean?"

"Oh gosh, did I leave that part out? Mr. Cooper is still unresponsive, I'm afraid. But the doctors say..."

The rest of her words fell on deaf ears, disappearing under the rush of blood pounding loudly through his ears as the realisation hit him that just like Dan was, Mr. Cooper was also in a  _coma._

...

 


	31. chapter twenty three

**023\. GOT A SECRET, CAN YOU KEEP IT?**  
**(** chapter twenty three ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**THURSDAY. — 3:02 PM**  
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 **WHEN NELLIE AWAKENED**  the following morning after Andy's big game, something in the air didn't sit right, the air didn't taste sweet on her tongue — it tasted bitter as if something was tainting the precious ambience surrounding her. Even the feeling of Hilda's soft fur against her feet, a sensation that usually sent her into a sense of security, did nothing to ease her frazzled nerves, and the warmth entering through the blinds of her window felt diluted and chilled. Even as Nellie found herself standing in the midst of the crowded halls at school, the final bell ringing signalling the end of day, even with the multitude of students bustling past her, still did she feel alone.

Because as she stood at her locker, back flushed against the chill metal, hands clutching at her waist, and arms wrapped around herself in a self-hug of comfort, she willed her crying heart into silence. Nellie went to school unaware of her surroundings, body going through the motions of an average day-to-day life without a conscience like a marionette being manipulated by strings on a stage performing for the people she's trying to fool into believing she was okay.

Dreams tortured her sleep, not that she's surprised. After the celebratory dinner with Andy and his team after his big game, to Connor dropping Nellie of at home, to the second letter she had received by Brandon Lee, mixed in with the odd animal attacks against Mr. Cooper, Ben, and Jocelyn and Cody, she had trouble sleeping. Mind reeling with thoughts and possibilities — and whenever she had the chance of finally sleeping, her mind decided to torture her even more with the memories of her past in a form of dreams, taking her right back into the woods, taking her back to the day Jane found her missing whistle, where they all saw the bird coming back to life, and where they all made that stupid promise of friendship between a disembodied voice and nine naive children who didn't know any better.

But in the soft light and humid air of the dream she had, Nellie could almost taste the breath of wind on her tongue, could feel the breeze fluttering against her short hair, could almost tune in to the sounds of dancing tree leaves, the laughter of children, and chirps of critters, and could see the vibrancy of Jane's hair, the aroma intoxicating and rich.

But with the thick swirls of black tendrils reaching towards her, it swallowed the innocence away, like it did that day, switching the bright, virescent hues of her surroundings into muted, dull shades as if God had adjusted the colours of the world like one would switch the channels on an old TV. Everything had been repainted by the moonlight, ripping away the peacefulness from her grasp and switching it into another painful reminder of how fresh the wounds were, and how deep the rabbit hole went. None of them knew how close, or how far they were from the truth, none of them knew how they were supposed to destroy Redfield, once and for all, something to give them all some peace of mind. They were lost, and they were stranded.

Although, life for some of the gang had only gotten better — after all the bullying that Andy dealt with, he was finally receiving the respect and recognition he deserved and was now able to  _actually_ play on the court, Ava discovered she had powers which she used against Jocelyn with the lockers, and speaking of which, Jocelyn and Cody had both left Nellie alone ever since the crow incident. So, although some parts of her life had remained strange, at least some parts were satisfactory.

Nellie just felt separated from her body, still clinging onto the glass shards of a dream filled memories that still served to slice her deep, but she didn't want to let go of it, even if she did. The ghost that haunts her still remained silent, still following her on that familiar path.

The dream haunted her for most of the morning, but the day went on without too much of a hitch — a part from the student bodies whispers involving the snake attack against Mr. Cooper and the bear attack against Ben. God, what a mess that had been. Some people even speculated that Lucas was the one behind the scenes of the snake situation. Nellie didn't know what to believe.

"Hey," Nellie was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts at the familiar raspy, hoarse voice she had came to recognise as Noah. She stood to attention, straightening her back upon hearing his voice, and twisting her body around to find the boy subconsciously pulling at the hem of his signature denim jacket with eyes that spoke of undisguised emotion. "Came to check up on you. You okay? You've been a little out of it all day."

Clearing her throat to rid the croak her voice had come accustomed to due to her lack of speech for the day, she sent him a forced smile, nodding her head as she briefly locked eyes with him before they flitted away and landed on his dirty converse shoes. He took a step closer, cocking his head to the side slightly, and she can't help but catch the scent of cigarettes masked by mint chewing gum and some woody cologne. It suited him, but she found herself wondering if he smoked to ease the pain of losing his sister, or maybe he just thought it looked cool — but Noah Marshall didn't need a cigarette to look anymore cooler than he already was.

"Yeah, I'm good, just tired is all."

Nellie could tell he didn't believe it, his narrowed eyes and cocked eyebrows as he regarded her poor attempt at a smile. She didn't even know why she lied in the first place, maybe it was just easier to lie about her feelings than it was to explain what was going on in her head — though she's sure Noah could relate to her predicament. He was always an understanding person, but Nellie was good at acting like things were fine, but the way Noah was the only person to realise she hadn't been acting the same as usual was something that didn't go unnoticed.

He deserved an explanation, but she didn't have the guts to bring up Jane again, and she could only watch as Noah fumbled for something in the back pocket of his distressed black jeans until a packet of Marlboro cigarettes were in his hands. Her eyes followed his fingers as they plucked one of the white sticks out of the packet and placed it between his teeth, before he shook the packet, raising his eyebrows and gesturing for her to grab one. "I've got a turkey sandwich we can split, and a full packet of cigarettes, I don't like sharing, but I'm offering you one because I'm willing to listen to your woes."

She can't help the splattered laugh of disbelief that left her mouth at his proposition, not entirely expecting Noah Marshall, the guy she had been deftly trying her hardest to avoid since the beginning of high school, was now in front of her, a few nights after they had attacked the skeletal creatures together, offering her a therapy session filled with cigarettes and a sandwich.

She pondered for a moment on whether or not she should indulge. Smoking was never something Nellie was interested in, and it wasn't something she wanted to make a habit out of. She shook her head, listening to the angel instead of the devil on her shoulder tempting her to take it, but Noah only nodded in acceptance, not once did he pressure her to take one, something of which she smiled about, and the two exited the building and made their way to the famous fountain they tend to meet up at the front of their school, and sat down on the ledge.

Nellie couldn't help but watch as Noah lit the end of his cigarette up with ease. She never thought seeing people smoking was an attractive thing until she saw the way Noah inhaled the smoke like a breath of fresh air, how he leaned his head back, allowing the lines of his throat to be exposed and the Adam's Apple to be on display as it bobbled when he blew out the excess smoke, and swallowed his saliva down.

Nellie will never get used to the horrid stench of smoke billowing out from any type of cigarette coming from anyone's mouth, no matter how attractive the person may be, even as it drifted away from the red embered end like the incense sticks she had in her room. It did look inviting, and after the events she had experienced this past week with the reemergence of Redfield and the nightmares, Nellie did deserve a little subsistence. Not without hesitation, she gently plucked the cigarette out of his fingers and brought it to her own lips.

She could almost laugh at Noah's expression, blinking like he wasn't sure if what she did happened or not. It was almost like he was about to protest at the notion, not entirely expecting such a broad act coming from her, but he could only watch as she took a drag of the smoke and placed it back in his open mouth, dropped with shock, as she sent him a cheeky smile, and blew out the smoke.

"Since when did you start smoking?" Noah wondered with a chuckle, turning to his backpack to pull out the sandwich he mentioned.

"I don't, but I should take it up for my health." She quipped, earning a laugh at her comment, and a shake of his head as he placed the sandwich, wrapped in cling film to hold at the contents in, on his lap.

"You shouldn't." He replied, the cigarette dangling loosley from his lip as he carefully tore the sandwich in half and placing one half in her hand. "Terrible habit. Don't want you stinking like smoke all the time."

"Then why do you do it?" Her response was quick on her tongue, and Noah knew it. He paused, fumbling for an answer while Nellie took a bite out of the sandwich that was filled with layers of turkey, mayonnaise, lettuce and cheese.

"I don't know." He shrugged weakly, "I like it."

Noah had his own demons — nothing he could help, not when he lost his best friends on top of losing his twin sister, and his family along with it. Nellie would never forgive herself for what she did to him, what she did to all her friends. The regret would come to her in moments like this, seeing how lonely he was, the bad habits, the sadness in his eyes. It was something that seeped into the foreground like a replaying ad stating how horrible you are, how much of a shit friend you are — it was repetitive. It was painful.

"I miss her." Nellie blurted out as she looked away from Noah, too scared to see his reaction, but finally being able to voice her thoughts to someone.

He knew who she was talking about. He didn't need to ask. He shifted uncomfortably, taking a particularly sharp drag of his smoke, "Me too." His voice was soft, wistful, "She deserved to live."

She ran her slender fingers through the wave of brown in her hair as she limply nodded like all the bones in her body decided to combust at the same time, "I keep dreaming about her."

"Like what?"

"We're back in the woods, as kids. So innocent and naive. How stupid we are. Everything starts off fine, just an ordinary memory of us playing, and then Mr. Red ruins everything and it's like one big reminder of  _that_  day." She swallowed, "And I just don't know what to do with myself or how to fix things. Everything is just too much, and too difficult." Nellie rambled, rubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand until she could see stars in her vision, smudging her eyeliner and mascara in the process. "I want to save everyone, I want people to be happy, and safe. But I don't know how to do that, I feel so lost."

Noah didn't say anything for the longest time, just simmering away at his cigarette just like Nellie's heart ached at the silence that stretched amongst them. She felt wrong, she felt stupid. She had no right to bring that up, she had no right to cry and sulk about the death of Jane right in front of her brother. She wanted to swallow the words she vomited and dig herself an early grave, but that was until she felt Noah shift, and turn to look at her, grabbing her wrist and forcing her to look at him.

There's a pained look painted across his face, but he held it behind a tough resolve. "Growing up, you were always the brave one. The one who picked up gross worms after a rainstorm while the rest of us screamed, the one who would ride bikes without helmets, and the one who would always kill creepy bugs for us. You led the pack, Nellie. You have always been the leader, and even now, with all back together again, you still are. But you shouldn't be the only one to shoulder the burden of saving people, and you won't be, and you aren't. If we are friends, we all help each other, and we have been — even if some people refused."

She smiled up at him, licking her lower lip as she raised her hands and reached for his beanie. "You're a good preacher, Noah Marshall." She softly whispered as she tugged the dark blue material off of his mop of dark brown locks, shifting the tense seriousness into tempered playfulness. His chaotic hair sprung upwards, clinging to the fabric like vines until she brushed them down with soft fingers, curling the locks around his ears, and brushing the fringe back, giving her a good look at the face usually hidden behind the tendrils.

He shook his head in disbelief but couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth at her response to his words of courage as she swiftly placed the beanie on top of his head, "You're impossible."

She giggled, a noise that felt like a hug to Noah, knowing he was the one to make her feel better, "I'll be okay, I promise." But something about her words didn't seem true. Her laughter and jokes couldn't fool him — she had dark circles under her glossy blue eyes, and an unfocused gaze that seemed to almost dissociate from time-to-time, like her mind was in a different place. She wasn't okay, and that was something that urged Noah to reach out and stop her fiddling with his hair.

His hand reached out for her wrist, stilling her movements, and forcing Nellie's heart to race, and her pulse to quicken at the sudden memory of Dan breaking her wrist in the dream she had, but she willed it away, trusting in Noah — it was  _him_ , not that monster in her dream, she had to remind herself. "I know you're not, Nellie. But just know, I'm with you. Every step of the way."

Her icy blue eyes glossed over with a certain sadness that drained her to the core, but she nodded along to his words. "Thanks for making sure I'm alright, Noah." She said, dark eyelashes brimming heavily with tears that threatened to unleash, "But I hope you know you can confide in me whenever you want. I'm always here."

"I know." He whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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"What the hell took you so long, Nellie?"

Looking up from the scuffed ends of her boots, Nellie's face whitened as if someone had thrown white paint on her features. Her mouth dropped, frozen into a look that resembled an expression of stunned surprise to discover an unwelcome guest standing amongst her group of friends, appearing just as irritated as the rest of them. Standing there in all her glory was Britney. Perfect, manicured fingers curled around her name brand phone, while the other rested on her hips in a display of complete and utter attitude, as if somehow Nellie was wasting her time, for innocently _not_ knowing of her arrival when she called to meet up with her friends after school ended in the car park.

"What's  _she_ doing here?" Nellie barked, sizing the popular teenager up with a sneer of fully undisguised loathing.

"Good question." Lucas added with his arms crossed over his chest and an irritation flooding through his system. Nellie was surprised to find Lucas so bothered to find Britney standing beside Stacy, knowing how popular he had become over the summer, although Britney wasn't very hard to like.

"She didn't suffer a major concussion and wander here in a semi-conscious fugue. I already asked." Ava said in jest, eyes not bothering to hide her obvious distaste on the teenager who had made her life hell since she first started high school.

Rolling her chocolate eyes, Britney pushed her brown locks behind her ear, and turned to the group with a scoff, "What I'm doing here is  _leaving,_  don't worry. I just came by to..." Her words fell short, choked up in her throat when the blonde standing beside her, rudely nudged her with the toe of her white tennis shoes, earning a scowl from Britney, as she grinded her teeth and clenched her jaw, " _...to invite you to my party at my house this Saturday._ "

Noah, who was standing beside Lucas, soon gravitating towards Nellie upon her arrival, almost laughed at her proposal. Her words were so out-of-character, so far from the Britney he knew that he could only stare at her with eyes blown wide, "Wow. Did not expect that."

"You sure about that concussion?" Andy added, catching Britney's eye who flared up under his glare.

"You're inviting  _us_  to your party?" Nellie's brain couldn't format any other words than that. A part of her wanted to bark off an insult at her, but her mouth couldn't manage to register any words that wanted to spill. But, she couldn't deny the look on Britney's face was obviously one of hatred, and one of being forced into saying such things, and Nellie was feeling extra sarcastic today. "Sounds awesome! You know, I don't think I've ever been over to your house before!"

"Wow, imagine that." She spat in response. It was clear that if this misfit crew of wayward souls were to be seen in her presence, her social life would be in jeopardy, and that was the part that Nellie found most fun.

"Come on, guys! Britney told me she's trying to turn over a new leaf and stop being such a jerk to people. Right, Brit?" Stacy said with a smile that could rival the beaming brightness of the sun as she took joy in taking the teenager down a few pegs, and bring her back into the real world.

"Yeah. Totally."

"Well, this is more weird to add to the weird pile." Ava mumbled, "Are we sure this isn't Mr. Re—" Her words were forced to a closed wince when Andy nudged the gothic teenager hard in the ribs, and jerked his head in the direction of Britney who wasn't going to be in the discussion of past demons still haunting them to this day. In response, Ava crossed her thin arms over her chest, and glared venomously at him. "Okay, but we're gonna have a talk about all of this later."

"Yeah!" Noah joined in, "We'll talk about that, uh, school project. For that class we have. That Britney isn't in."

"Okay, whatever you're talking about? Yeah, I super don't care." Britney scowled, peering into the gangs direction, face resolutely unimpressed and disinterested.

"We're... really _all_ invited to your party?" The small voice of Lily could be heard, instantly snapping Britney out of her irritated stupor as she turned her attention to the shorter girl, expression softening, just the slightest, that if you weren't intentionally looking, you wouldn't find it.

"Yeah, really. Does that mean you're coming?"

"O—Of course! I would love to!"

"Great! Make sure you save me a dance."

Nellie could only squint at their interaction with a look of suspicion lacing her features, but she didn't say a word. Britney had always been cruel towards Lily in particular, even before the summer break, and now that Mr. Red was back in their life, suddenly she's nice towards her? Like what Ava was going to say earlier, what if this was Mr. Red's doing? Her sudden friendliness was distrustful, but she didn't know how she was supposed to convey that feeling towards Lily who was head over heels for her. Something of which Nellie will never understand.

After waving goodbye to Lily, specifically, Britney turned to Stacy with a fiery glare, and soon stalked away with a stomp to her step as she made her way to the bus stop, leaving the group behind in combined surprise and suspicion — though once she was out of sight, Nellie was quick to reach towards Stacy, hand circling around her slightly muscular bicep as she pulled her to the side, lowering her voice so only she could hear her words.

 _"Okay, what the hell just happened?"_ She whispered, voice sharp and clenched,  _"Either I got transported into opposite land, or—"_

_"I got her phone, Nellie! The video's gone!"_

_"What?! Stacy, that's amazing! You're finally free!"_

_"Right?! I can barely believe it!"_

_"How the hell did you get her phone?"_

_"That's... uh, kinda the complicated part..."_

The voice of Ava behind them pierced through the secret whispering, bringing them a part and their heads around, "Not to break up this fun whispering thing you've got going on, but visiting hours are over in, like, ninety minutes."

"Yeah, we gonna go see Dan or what?" Noah added into the conversation, and Nellie felt bad that she almost forgot about the hospital trip they were planning on making, to check up on Dan, since that was the whole reason they were meeting up in the first place.

"Sorry! We're coming." Nellie called out as both her and Stacy jogged over the join up with the group.

Turning to Lucas, Stacy counted off the people who could fit in her car before she spoke, causing him to become startled and whirl around at the sound of his name, "I can fit five in my car... Lucas, can you drive someone?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." He mumbled, words tumbling from his mouth like pebbles on the sand. Stacy didn't give him much of a choice to respond as she was already making her way to the car, clicking a button on her car keys and watching as the red lights of her blinkers flickered as it unlocked the doors, allowing Ava, Noah, Lily, and Andy to pile inside.

"Yo, Ava, lemme trade you for the front. These shoulders don't like the backseat." Andy offered, earning a scoff her in response.

"Fight me, Kang."

In the end, it looked like they already made up their mind. Nellie didn't mind having to ride with Lucas, she liked him, but he definitely seemed distracted. She hadn't seen him all day, and after all the whispers and rumours that have been going around in regards to the snake attack, Nellie wouldn't be surprised if guilt was eating him up inside. She felt it was a good time to question him now that they were going to be alone for the ride to the hospital. Turning to the boy in question, she smiled sweetly at him, "Guess that means it's you and me, Lucas."

"Hm? Oh, okay."

Without further ado, the two teenagers silently made their way to Lucas' sleek white car, painted, and sparkly clean as if it had been recently washed, nothing that didn't surprise her with Lucas — he had always been neat and tidy, of course his car would be too. They climbed in, and soon followed Stacy's pale blue car out of the parking lot.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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The lingering suburbia of Westchester slowly drifted away into hazy mirages the further Lucas' car snaked along the stretch of sunbaked highway roads as the wind coming down from the mountains curved around the rails pushed against the car to no avail. His fresh tires drone along the road in a continuous hum as Nellie tried to find comfortability in the deafening silence of Lucas' car.

His gaze was straight ahead through the windshield, only half aware of the world outside the comfort of the car they were sitting in, and hardly seeming to know Nellie was right beside him, nails digging into the palm of her hand to quieten her anxiety, and teeth chewing on her bottom lip, deeper and rougher until she could taste metal on her tongue. The radio was turned down to zero, leaving nothing but quiet breathing to fill the tense air, because no one dared to break it, in fear of what would come if they did.

The silence sunk in like poison as she continued to instinctively tense her shaking limbs in an attempt to suppress her ferocious and feral heart beat. The type of thick silence that hung above them, especially as they drove along the inky mass of road stretched into the horizon, would usually calm her if it was a comfortable one, but this was as painful.

"Hey... are you alright?"

His head snapped towards Nellie in an instant, from gazing limply out the window with unfocused eyes to the teenager beside him with comforting eyes and a warm smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She carefully pressed, ensuring she didn't anger him by wanting to help. That seemed to happen a lot, she wore her heart on her sleeve, wanted to help people as much as she could, and then it would get thrown back in her face. "I heard about Mr. Cooper... being that close when the snake attacked... it must have been so terrifying."

To her surprise, Lucas didn't bite her head off. He merely sighed, as if a deep breath would relieve all the tension within him, "It was, but... I'm keeping it together. Really."

"You know you can talk to me, right? I'm a part of this too. I know what you're going through right now."

A bitter laugh escaped his throat, a scowl lacing his features as he tongued his cheek and shook his head as if he was trying to clear the bad attitude away, something of which he had plenty of experience doing in his household and in school, "Sorry. Just... I don't think you  _can_  help with this. I screwed up, Nellie. I screwed up badly, and I... I'm scared of what you'd think of me if you knew what I've done."

"Lucas..." Nellie lightly said, a tentative tone to her voice as her eyes landed on the way his hands shook on the steering wheel, how his eyes welled up with unshed tears from potentially weeks of bottling up emotion. He sniffed, reaching a hand up to quickly wipe at his eyes, to save himself the shame for falling apart in front of someone.

"Sorry, would you hand me a tissue?"

"Yeah, of course!" She replied, turning towards the glove department in front of her to open it, "Are they in here, or...?"

"Wait, no!"

Lucas suddenly shouted, a desperate yell that reverberated in her ears like thunder and a chill to run up and down her spine as he lunged over to stop her movements, hands reaching out for her arm, yanking the steering wheel in the process and forcing the car swerve towards the right lane towards the cars in that lane.

"Lucas!" She screamed in alarm, instinctively ripping her hands out of Lucas' grasp to grab hold of the steering wheel to jerk it to the left again, and only just managing to stay inside the safe zone. "What the hell was that, Lucas?! I was just looking in the—" As she paused, her gaze drifted down towards the now open glove department to find something she wasn't expecting to be in Lucas' car. Because inside, Nellie can't help but notice the several small plastic bottles with white caps and a multitude of little blue pills inside.

"Don't..." Lucas let out one last desperate plea for her to leave it alone, but he knew it was too late. He couldn't look at her, he returned his teary gaze to the road as she picked up one of the bottles, turning to read the label upon it.

Her eyes scanned the words, finding the pharmacy's name, doctor's name, his mother's name, and finally the drug name. "Lucas, are these... focus pills?"

"Yes... but—"

"The label has your mom's name... why'd she prescribe so many? There are, like, five bottles in here!" She exclaimed — but all she could think was... was this why he had changed so much over the summer? He had always been smart, but even Mr. Cooper had noticed how unnatural it was for a student to be as intelligent, and on time as him with essays, assignments and the like. Amphetamines are commonly used for people with ADHD disorder, to help them focus more. But unless Lucas had been diagnosed with the disorder, there was no reason for him to take them, and especially not so many as he did.

"She... she didn't. Last month I... I stole a page from her prescription pad." He explained.

"You  _what?!_  What the hell possessed you to do that?"

"I... I just..." Taking a deep breath, Lucas let himself go, unleashing everything upon her with a strained quiver to his voice as if he was trying hard not to breakdown, "Nellie, my mom came to the U.S. when she was nineteen, and she had nothing. She worked three jobs to put herself through college. She got a _full ride_  to Harvard Medical. That's where she met my dad, who already had three patents under his belt. Now? He has  _twenty."_

"So your parents are geniuses... what's that got to do with anything? I assume there's an excuse coming up?"

"I... I know nothing can excuse what I did. I just want you to understand... everything I do is measured against them." He went on to say, "' _At your age, I'd won an international prize for science. At your age, I'd started my own company.'_  I'm already so far behind them, and... and they can't hide how disappointed they are. I can see it every time they look at me."

Her heart broke. Now she could understand why he did it. Something illegal, and dangerous — it hurt that he must feel that way only because his parents were more successful than he could be at the moment, and now as their son, he felt that it was his duty to live up to their expectations. She didn't know what to say, it just hurt for her to know that this was the solution he picked just to impress his parents. "So... you decided that  _this_  was the solution?"

"I couldn't think of anything else I could do. I was already overloaded on classes, I wasn't sleeping... I was at my limit, and I could feel myself slipping. I had to get some... help. The first week... it was amazing! I had so much energy, and I  _never_ got distracted. I finished two college apps in one night! But it didn't last. Suddenly, I was paranoid all the time, and I couldn't sleep, even when I got tired. Then, Mr. Cooper got suspicious..."

"So that's what you guys were arguing about!" She exclaimed, finally all the pieces of the puzzle of Lucas Thomas' life fitting into place, "But wait, that means... oh god, Lucas, the snake..."

"It's the only explanation that makes sense. Mr. Red put that snake in Mr. Cooper's desk to  _protect_  me. It's my fault he's in the hospital, and it'll be my fault if he dies."

"So what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm going to get rid of the pills, and I'm going to do whatever I can to stop Mr. Red from hurting anyone else. After that... I don't know. I'm so sorry, Nellie. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but... please, don't tell anyone what I did. Please give me time to fix this."

"Lucas..." Nellie trailed off, eyes gazing at Lucas as he pulled himself together — it amazed her how quick he was to fall apart at the seams and then stitch himself back together in one sitting, "I understand why you did it. Your parents hold you up to an impossible standard. Of course you cracked under the pressure!"

"That doesn't excuse what I did."

"No, it doesn't... but you deserve a chance to make things right."

"Does that mean..."

"I'll keep your secret. At least for now."

And as Lucas pulled off the highway to turn into town, he glanced at the girl beside him and added, "Thank you, Nellie. I swear, I'm going to do everything that I can to fix this."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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It didn't take long for him to find a parking spot off the Main Street, a few ways away from the hospital as he didn't particularly want to pay a parking fee, and seemingly Stacy had the same idea as they spot the familiar pale blue car down the block, causing Nellie to laugh lightly to herself.

As the two exited the car, swiftly shutting the door behind themselves, Nellie turned to Lucas, sending him a reassuring smile to let him know that all the words they shared during the drive there was purely confidential, and Nellie wasn't going to tell a soul, Lucas seemed to get the hint as his shoulders had significantly sagged as if all the weight was finally off his shoulders. "Looks like the others beat us here. You ready to head in?"

"Hang on." He replied, causing Nellie to raise a brow and watch as he headed back to his car to load the pill bottles in an old fast food bag he had hidden in the back seat of the car. "There's something I have to do first..."

The two made their way down the streets with newfound determination, Lucas leading her towards a secluded alleyway situated across the hospital where Nellie found herself taking one look down the alleyway and instantly feeling a rush of adrenaline flooding her system. It was as if the buildings on either side were trying their hardest to touch because they alleyway was narrow enough that Nellie could stretch both her arms out and touch the homes on both sides, that were built with an old, imperfect brick. Pressed against the wall were two large green bins, placed there for the apartment dwellers to place their rubbish in. Without hesitation, Lucas lifted up the lid and stuffed the brown paper bag of pills into the bin.

Turning back to Nellie, he grinned with pride at her, "There. I'm done taking shortcuts."

There was a smile so bright on her face that the dimples in her cheeks grooved into crescent moons, and then she's slowly walking up to him, and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug, arms wrapping around him in a warm, friendly embrace, "This is good, Lucas. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Nellie." He gushed, returning the affection back as he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame.

And then someone behind them cleared their throat, and they're ripping themselves out of their affectionate hug to find Ava standing at the end of the alley with a smirk on her face. "Soooo.... You guys know Dan's not in that garbage can, right?"

"Jeez, Ava! What are you doing out here?" Nellie cried, cheeks a bright tinge of rosey red for reasons she couldn't explain. It wasn't like she was crushing on Lucas, they were just hugging because she was proud of him ━ but it wasn't like Ava knew that.

"Waiting for you guys, so I can lead you to the weird back room they've got Dan in. What are  _you_  doing in this creepy━" They're all suddenly interrupted by a sudden muffled, rustling and insistent scratching, noise coming from inside one of the garbage cans.

"What on earth..." Lucas trailed off, eyebrows furrowing and eyes narrowing at the strange noise.

Nellie's mind, however, immediately went to the terrifying skeletal creatures Mr. Red had sent to hurt them, but her mind was trying to deflect the fear, "It's... it's probably just a raccoon or something, right?"

"We thinking regular raccoon, or supernaturally-controlled attack raccoon?" Ava jested.

"Not helping."

"Should we... check?" Lucas questioned, seemingly not brave enough to do it himself, but hopefully willing one of them to do so as they all looked at each other with pleading eyes.

"One of us should..." Nellie trailed off, gesturing towards one of her friends.

"Probs, unless you want some poor, unsuspecting waiter to get a faceful of evil raccoon when he's taking out the garbage." Ava added.

With a sigh, knowing well enough that none of them were stepping up to it, Nellie steeled herself as she strode towards the bin where the noise was emitting from and in a flash, flinging the lid back with closed eyes, bracing herself for an attack... but when she got nothing more than another scratching noise, she hesitantly peeked her eye open, "Oh my god..."

"What? What is it?!" Lucas cried.

Wordlessly, she beckoned the two to come closer, and as they edged up closer to look at what she found, their jaws dropped when they find a tiny creature nestled among the crumbled newspapers and takeout containers. A yowling black kitten with bright yellow eyes, appearing like a tiny ball of scrappy fluff peered up at them curiously.

Almost immediately, Ava gushed over the kitten, like a mother with their baby, but she froze in her movements when the young kitten flattened her ears and backed away, baring tiny white fangs at the larger creatures standing over her.

"Whoa! It's okay, kitty, we won't hurt you, promise." Nellie cooed as she slowly reached out her hand towards the kitten, allowing it to stand to its feet and slightly wobble its way forward to sniff at her fingers. She watched Nellie suspiciously, almost as if it was waiting for her to attack, but when Nellie made no sudden movements, the little kitten placed one of her pink paws on her hand, and when nothing terrible happened to her, she climbed right into her palm. "See? You're okay."

Nellie gently lifted the kitten out of the garbage kitten and raised the kitten to her chest, bending her head down so the kitten could sniff at her face and feel warm against her body heat. As she continued to examine the kitten, her face fell when she realised just how skinny the little one was, and she couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone to starve to death. But when she started to softly purr, and the vibrations rumbled through her tiny chest, and against Nellie's hand, she knew what the right thing to do was.

"I'm keeping her, and I'm going to name her Salem!" She immediately said, earning an excited squeal from Ava and a nod of approval from Lucas. "It would eat me up inside if I left a little kitten out here in the cold."

"Uh, I don't think you can bring a cat into the hospital." Lucas quickly reminded, but didn't get so much as a response as Nellie made due with what she had in stock; her school bag. She unzipped the bag, and gently placed the kitten on top of her textbooks, and then finally zipped bag back up partway, allowing air to go through.

"Cat? What cat?"

"I don't see any cat. Are you feeling okay, Lucas?" Ava added, playing along.

"Fine, but when security comes to throw us out, I don't know any of you people."

**...**


	32. chapter twenty four

**024. DAN'S NOT HERE ANYMORE**  
 **(** chapter twenty four ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._   
**THURSDAY. — 4:24 PM**

 

 

 

 

 **AS SOON AS** Nellie saw the room Dan was admitted in, situated at the back of the hospital in the private ward, and separated from the commonly used public ones, she immediately understood why people tend to bring flowers to the rooms where their loved ones lay. Whether it be a psychological part of humanity that yearned to see nature in the midst of technological hums and beeps of heart monitors and oxygen tanks, mixed in with the sight of their loved ones attached to wires to assist in keeping their lungs breathing and their heart pumping blood throughout their body, that made them want to bring in the outdoor scenery. Perhaps seeing just how sterile and dustless the environment was within the walls made them want to give colour to the already depressing nature of hospitals. But Nellie understood now, and she wished she would have brought flowers along with her.

As soon as she entered the private ward, following after Ava's quick strides, the atmosphere had shifted completely. It was quieter without the sounds of coughing patients, and crying babies in the common area where patients had to sit and wait on plastic chairs that were about as comfortable as sitting on rocks. The air had a subtle perfumed scent as nurses moved around on their rounds with serene purposefulness, smiling politely as they past. There were vases with flowers lined up against the walls, with inspirational and calming framed art in an attempt to ease the heartache. If anything, as Nellie made her way down the corridor towards the room Dan was admitted to, she had realised just how wealthy Dan's parents must be to have been able to afford to put him in the luxurious part of the hospital, while the rest of the patients had to suffer with dusty, and stuffy rooms.

The room Dan was in was a simple pale blue, clean, sterile, and the room had an undertone scent of bleach and hand sanitizer. A large window was placed to the left of his bed, allowing the warmth of the outside world to filter itself through the wispy curtains, giving her a clear view of the car park below, and under the window were two white chairs and a coffee table. Stationed on the wall in front of his bed was a wall mounted plasma screen TV, resting silently like an unwelcome mirror that reflected the image of the cluster of teenagers huddled around the limp boy lying on the crisp white sheets that looked as though they must have been washed a thousand times.

"Oh, Dan..." Nellie whispered gently to herself, smiling sadly at Andy as he stood up from his seat and offered her his seat that was closest to Dan. Her eyes were slightly becoming glossed over with a sheen of fresh tears when they landed on the frail boy laying on the bed, because completely still and quiet as if he had been paused in time.

The optimistic part of Nellie was expecting a greeting, a wave, or even a hug from Dan ━ anything to let her know he was okay but as soon as he saw his motionless body, reality had sunk in like a quick reacting poison. He practically looked like a corpse, hooked up to wires connecting to monitors, and ventilators to help him breathe, and as her eyes trailed up the feeding tube snaking itself into his nose, like he was some type of scientific experiment, her heart ached because if it wasn't for the soft, regular sounds of his heart rate beeping of the heart monitor, she would have thought he was dead.

He looked so fragile in his hospital gown ━ delicate and easy to break as if one wrong move when handling him and his body would fall apart. Albeit, he looked a hell of a lot better than he did on the night they found him in the woods. The bruises littering his skin were dimming to a pale yellow, the dirt under his nails had disappeared, his hair was no longer greasy and stuck to his forehead, and there seemed to be some stitching above his eyebrow. Although, she could still see the works of malnourishment wrecking his body ━ his boney collarbone still protruded above the neckline of the hospital gown, his closed eyes were sunken into the sockets, and his wrists were tiny enough for Nellie to enclose her thumb and forefinger around it like a bracelet and _still_ have a gap.

"Jeez... he looks so... it's like something drained the life out of him." Ava commented gently curling her thick lips upward as she regarded his comatose state. She wrapped her slender arms around herself, slumping her shoulders as if the whole world was sitting on her shoulders.

"Can he... I mean, does he know we're here?" Nellie went on to ask, turning towards the rest of the group for an answer. Even if the common saying wasn't true ━ at least it would make her feel a little better. She remembered hearing the same saying when her grandmother was in hospital many years ago. The woman in the hospital bed wasn't the woman she had grown up with ━ it was a completely different person to her.

Her gentle steady hands that knitted blankets, and scarves for the winter months, had become clawlike as she hissed and screamed at those that came near her. The sunkissed hue of her smooth skin had became ashen, subdued and greyish. All of the years of home cooked meals, and eyes that sparkled just like the pretty christmas tree she assembled each year, had become nothing more but a distant memory. She had become sick, weak over the months leading to her death, her skin so fragile, and covered in ruptures from being covered in tubes.

She had gone a bit deranged in her last few years alive, not much could be done when Alzeimers had been rendered her into a confused, and angry woman. She had grown old beyond the natural lifespan of a human, but her heart continued to fight against time as she became a prisoner in her own mind. Nellie's heart would break when the woman she knew ━ the woman who made the best cookies, and gave her treats and gifts, had completely forgotten who she was ━ she was a complete stranger to someone she had plenty of memories with.

And when she was medically induced into a coma, her mother and father would tell Nellie not to be afraid. Deep down inside she knew who she was.

She was drawn out of her memories when Andy's voice tugged her back to reality, "Dunno. Nurse was here a minute ago. He said Dan's in a 'vegetative state'." Andy explained, but that didn't do much to ease her pain.

"Is it... do they know what caused it?" Lucas asked.

There was a steady flow of tears trailing down the round cheeks of Lily, dripping down her face and racing towards her wobbling chin that she promptly knuckled away in an attempt to pull herself together. She turned towards Nellie, lower lip quivering as she caught the eyes of her, noticing the distant look in her eyes. "They have no idea. He just... he just won't wake up." She tried her hardest to remain strong, but by the time the last words escaped her mouth, the following of her sentence was swallowed up by choked sobs.

To her side, Stacy was quick to wrap an arm around her broad shoulders, pulling the sobbing girl to her chest while she herself attempted to hold back her own tears, staring up at the ceiling and blinking repeatedly until the glossy sheen of tears had vanished. "Guys... what if he _never_  wakes up?"

With trembling lips, Lucas moved to stand beside Stacy, putting an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to heal her by pouring his strength into her, and in turn, Stacy gave her strength to Lily who squeezed her hand in gratitude. "Th━the nurse also said we should talk to him, though. He said that Dan might be able to hear us." Lily said, through tremors.

"It's probably crap. They always say that to make you feel better." Noah murmured to himself, though it was loud enough for Nellie to hear as she kicked his shoe to grab his attention and as soon as they both locked eyes, she sent him a glare at his insensitive, cynical behavior ━ especially to something that struck home.

"Does it work?" Ava quietly asked, voice small and almost child-like as she turned to look up at Noah who shrugged in return, eyes falling to the linoleum floors beneath his shoes.

"...Yeah, kinda."

With a small, shallow sigh, Nellie reached out her hand and gently interlaced her fingers through Dan's with a soft squeeze as if the slight pressure of her movement might wake him, and for a moment there, she could have sworn she felt a slight pressure on her soft hands as Dan weakly squeezed back, and then a barely-audible whisper of her name left his lips. "He  _does_ know we're here." A relieved, tearful laugh spluttered from her mouth as she softly spoke the words, followed by tears that slowly leaked from her eyes like a dripping tap. "Dan, if you can hear me, we're going to make this right. I swear, we'll make Redfield pay for what he did to you, and we'll keep him from hurting anyone else. We'll find a way to bring you back, Dan. And this time, we're all going to be there for each other."

As she watched his face for any semblance of a reaction to her words, happiness soaked into her bones when she spotted the tiniest hint of a smile curving at the corner of Dan's lips and she savoured the moment as he seemed to physically relax ever so slightly in her presence.

"Uh... Nellie? Your backpack is angry." Andy eventually spoke up, breaking the bittersweet moment between Nellie and Dan, and when she looked down to figure out where his confusion was stemming from, she couldn't help but laugh as a tiny black paw stuck itself out of the top of her school bag and began to swipe blindly at Andy's leg.

"Sorry! We had to sneak her past the front desk. Everyone... meet Salem." Reaching down to unzip her bag, Nellie was about to reach into it to reveal the black kitten, but instead, the kitten sprung upwards out of the bag and began to claw her way up the white sheets of Dan's bed as if she was scaling a rock wall. As soon as her four paws landed on the bed, she hissed ferociously at the group of teenagers staring down at her in both shock and awe stuck at how cute she was.

"Whoa! Is that your cat, Nellie? It seems kinda... feral." Noah nervously exclaimed, flinching backwards when the kitten started swiping her tiny paws in his direction.

"Naw, Salem talks tough, but inside she's a lil love muffin." Ava defended, slowly reaching out her own hand towards the kitten and gushing when the kitten headbutted her hand in response. 

"Kinda like you?" Andy quipped, a cheeky grin stretched across his face only to earn earn a cat-like hiss from Ava in return while the kitten escaped her vigorous patting and scampered further up the bed until she reached the side of Dan's face. She raised her paw, and softly began to bat at his earlobe like a toy, though when Dan didn't respond to her whine, she decided on nestling against the side of his neck, curling her body until it appeared like a tiny black ball that vibrates when she purred.

"Has anyone else been here to see him?" Nellie asked the group, turning her attention away from Salem and Dan, towards the rest of them.

"We ran into Dan's mom on the way in, but she was on the phone with someone named Dr. Chambal." Noah explained.

"Another doctor?" Lucas frowned, "Are they bringing in some kind of specialist or something?"

"Actually, based on what they were saying, I think she may have been Dan's therapist." Lily spoke up.

"Dan was seeing a therapist? Do you think she knows something about all of this?" Nellie questioned, though glad knowing Dan was talking to someone professional about the incident that occurred when they were kids ━ Nellie never got that opportunity. He refused to speak to Stacy, and the rest of the gang ━ not that she could blame him, especially with the years they spent apart. But even so, there was no way they would get answers from a confidential conversation between a patient and a therapist, unless they wanted to go the fugitive route and sneak into her office to steal his files.

"Who knows?" Stacy shrugged. "He never told me about any of this. He wasn't one for talking about his feelings." Considering she was the only person he relatively spoke to that even resembled slightly of their childhood days, it was disappointing knowing that she didn't know what was going on in his head the days leading up to his disappearance.

Andy turned towards the frail boy in the hospital bed and sighed solemnly, "Dan, buddy... I wish you could tell us what happened."

As if his words were magic, a strained groan left Dan's lips suddenly as if he was trying to speak to them in tongue ━ but when he realised he couldn't form any coherent words, he used all the strength he had in himself to turn his head just a few degrees to the right, and as Nellie followed the motion of his head, she found that he was directing their gaze to a pile of his clothes folded neatly on the table beside his bed.

"Wait a second..." Nellie trailed off as she made her way towards where her was directing them. She felt wrong, or at least felt like she was going against the guidelines on how to be a decent human being by going through the clothes of an immobile patient who was only a few centimeters away from where she stood, but none of her friends seemed to share that same hesitancy ━ so, finally, she patted the pockets of his jeans until she felt something solid in the back pocket, and pulled out his phone. Turning back around, the rest of her friends now seemed confused as to why she was rummaging through his clothes, "He didn't tell  _us_  what was going on..."

Catching her drift, Andy spoke, "... But maybe he told someone else."

"He did send all of us those weird texts the night he disappeared... his other texts could tell us more." Nellie explained still holding onto his phone as if it was the key on answering all of their unanswered questions.

Even if Dan couldn't exactly consent to anything they were about to do with his phone, having him know that he could hear what they were saying, as well as him guiding them to where his possession laid, Stacy still felt the need to ask, "Dan... you really want us to go through your phone?" But after several seconds of silence, Dan's head moved again with a slow ghost of a nod.

"What do you think, Nellie?" Lucas asked.

A part of her still felt wrong reading confidential texts ━ she was worried she would find something she didn't want to see, like messages of a suicide attempt, or self harm imagery, but the gang needed to learn what happened to their friend in the months leading to his downward spiral ━ they  _needed_  to know, and so she nodded. "Let's do it. It seems like Dan wants us to know, and this is the only way he can tell us."

Grasping his phone in her hand, she was thankful that he didn't have a passcode on his phone, as she slid her thumb across the screen and found his messaging app without too much difficulty whilst Stacy scooted her chair over beside her to help navigate Nellie's way through his messages. "Okay, so when did all this stuff start? Stacy, you said before that Dan was having breakdowns at football games, right? When was that?" Nellie started ━ assuming the role as Nancy Drew in their investigations.

"Sometime around last September, I think."

Stacy read over Nellie's shoulder as she scrolled backwards through Dan's life, flicking her thumb upwards and rewinding through the days, weeks, and months as if she was a time traveller until she found a selection of text messages between him and Stacy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 | 11:09 AM**

**STACY**  
hey, dan, its stacy... r u doing alright?  
 _read 11:09 AM_

 **DAN**  
yeah, what do you mean?   
 _read 11:09 AM_

 **STACY**  
i saw u after the game last night...  
 _read 11:10 AM_

 **DAN**  
?  
 _read 11:11 AM_

 **STACY**  
crying? under the bleachers?  
 _read 11:11 AM_

 **DAN**  
lol what? must've been somebody else  
 _read 11:15 AM_

 **STACY**  
im pretty sure it was you  
 _read 11:15 AM_

 **DAN**  
well i'm pretty sure it wasn't lol  
 _read 11:15 AM_

 **STACY**  
Then they looked a lot like you, and had your same jersey #. and afterwards im pretty sure they stole ur car  
 _read 11:17 AM_

 **DAN**  
I'm fine.  
 _read 11:27 AM_

 **STACY**  
ok  
just... i hope u know u can talk to me  
about anything  
 _read 11:28 AM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 | 1:42 PM**

**MOM**  
Everything okay, kiddo?  
 _read 1:42 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yeah why  
 _read 1:42 PM_

 **MOM**  
My mom senses are tingling. Also I found Picard meowing outside your door this morning, and you only kick him out when you're upset.  
 _read 1:43 PM_

 **DAN**  
I'm okay... just school stress and stuff. I didn't sleep super great last night  
 _read 1:43 PM_

 **MOM**  
Are you having the nightmares again?  
 _read 1:43 PM_

 **DAN**  
No and no offense, but can we please not do the talk again  
 _read 1:45 PM_

 **MOM**  
'The talk'?  
 _read 1:45 PM_

 **DAN**  
The one where I tell you a bunch of stuff that makes you look at me like a sick puppy and u try to convince me to see a shrink and I say no and we argue  
 _read 1:46 PM_

 **MOM**  
Ouch.  
 _read 1:46 PM_

 **DAN**  
Sorry... im just tired  
 _read 1:46 PM_

 **MOM**  
Look, I know you don't want to talk to a therapist  
(because you're stubborn and you are your father's son)  
But I worry about you. And I want you to be okay.  
 _read 1:48 PM_

 **DAN**  
I know  
 _read 1:51 PM_

 **MOM**  
What do you think about something like this?  
'New App Places Therapy at your Fingert..." Read the whole story at healthnews.pb/2019/9/15/277z941/...  
 _read 1:51 PM_

 **DAN**  
What is this? Texting with a therapist? Seems kinda cheesy...  
 _read 1:52 PM_

 **MOM**  
Just think about it.  
 _read 1:52 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 | 2:19 AM**

**EMILY**  
Hi there :) Do you prefer Daniel, or Dan?  
 _read 2:19 AM_

 **DAN**  
Dan is fine  
 _read 2:19 AM_

 **EMILY**  
Well Dan, my name is Dr. Emily Chambal and I'll be your Lighthouse counselor.  
How are you feeling?  
 _read 2:19 AM_

 **DAN**  
What like now or in general?  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **EMILY**  
Let's start with now.  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **DAN**  
Idk... hungry?  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **EMILY**  
Same. I'm eating nachos!  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **DAN**  
Aw man. Now i want nachos  
 _read 2:21 AM_

 **EMILY**  
Yes, so does my German Shepherd.  
 _read 2:21 AM_

 **DAN**  
Lol  
 _read 2:21 AM_

 **EMILY**  
So how have you been feeling lately?  
 _read 2:21 AM_

 **DAN**  
Idk... hard to describe. Kind of alone i guess?  
 _read 2:22 AM_

 **EMILY**  
Alone like sad?  
 _read 2:22 AM_

 **DAN**  
No. more like... scared  
 _read 2:22 AM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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Flickering her eyes away from the screen, Nellie turned to Stacy with a certain type of heaviness weighing her down, "What did Dan have to be afraid of? This was long before all the creepy stuff started happening... right?" She asked, as if Stacy held all the answers.

"Hm... skip ahead to November, just after Thanksgiving break. Dan was outside out of school for a couple days in a row and... I don't know. Something about it felt weird to me."

Almost immediately, her words jogged a part of Nellie's memory. She remembered speaking to him days before the Thanksgiving break inside the hall, he was sitting by himself and she sat beside them and they caught up on their lives together ━ that was until Nellie started to pry into the past again, opening a can of worms and he rushed away. The last thing she remembered was him saying that he was going to stay at his uncle's place in the  _woods._  "Okay, let's see..." She whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 | 9:14 AM**

**MOM**  
Dan, I'm trying to be respectful and give you your space but it's been three days.  
I'm getting worried. And the school is calling. And you have half our cups and bowls in there.  
Please open the door  
 _read 9:14 AM_

 **DAN**  
Tomorrow   
 _read: 9:20 AM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 | 3:17 PM**

**EMILY**  
Is this the first time you've had an episode like this?  
 _read 3:17 PM_

 **DAN**  
Never this long  
Idk whats wrong with me. Im just lying here shaking  
 _read 3:17 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Did something happen that might have set this off?  
 _read 3:17 PM_

 **DAN**  
Sort of. We went to my uncle's cabin for thxgiving and i started having nightmares  
 _read 3:18 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Were they about what happened? The incident when you were a kid?  
 _read 3:18 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yeah  
 _read 3:18 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Are you ready to talk about that yet?  
 _read 3:19 PM_

 **DAN**  
No  
 _read 3:19 PM_

 **EMILY**  
That's fine, no rush. You don't have to answer this, but I have one other question. Would you describe this incident as negative? Or violent?  
 _read 3:19 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yes... understatement of the century  
 _read 3:20 PM_

 **EMILY**  
And would you say, before this episode, that it's been a while since you last thought about it?  
 _read 3:20 PM_

 **DAN**  
Sort of... i think about it a lot. But i try not to  
It got better for a few years... i just pretended it happened to someone else  
 _read 3:20 PM_

 **EMILY**  
But visiting your uncle's cabin brought it back for you? And then it all came rushing back to you? Sound about right?  
 _read 3:21 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yes  
 _read 3:21 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Okay. Well I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?  
 _read 3:21 PM_

 **DAN**  
Good please  
 _read 3:22 PM_

 **EMILY**  
The good news is, I think you're making progress. And I think we might have an idea of what we're dealing with now.  
The bad news is, from everything you've told me over the last couple of weeks, it sounds like you might be dealing with symptoms of dissociation that manifest with some forms of PTSD.  
 _read 3:27 PM_

 **DAN**  
What does that mean?  
 _read 3:27 PM_

 **EMILY**  
It means that this may get worse before it gets better.  
But I do believe it will get better. I hope you do too.  
 _read 3:27 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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"Looks like the next big batch is around February..." Nellie spoke up as she finished with the set of messages in the month of November.

"Oh, no. Winter formal..." From beside her, Stacy physically deflated as all the memories of that night came flooding back.

"What happened?"

"After the dance, there was a big party at Seth's house. I found Dan freaking out in the bathroom, but then I left for a minute, and he just took off..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 | 2:18 AM**

**STACY**  
Dan? I left to get towels and u disappeared, where r u  
 _read 2:18 AM_

 **DAN**  
I'm fine, I walked home  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **STACY**  
Ur clearly NOT fine  
Wtf is going on with u?! Talk to me!!  
 _read 2:20 AM_

 **DAN**  
Just leave me alone  
 _read 2:24 AM_

 **STACY**  
Okay.   
 _read 2:25 AM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 | 9:14 AM**

**MOM**  
You came home kinda late last night. Everything okay, kiddo?  
 _read 9:14 AM_

 **DAN**  
Ya im fine  
 _read 9:28 AM_

 **MOM**  
Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?  
 _read 9:29 AM_

 **DAN**  
NO. for the millionth time: I AM FINE  
 _read 9:29 AM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 | 4:15 PM**

**DAN**  
I did something dumb the other night...  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **EMILY**  
What happened?  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **DAN**  
I went to a party even though i was feeling bad  
I had a freakout, and i was really crappy to someone who was trying to help me  
... two people actually  
 _read 4:16 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Have you had any more episodes recently?  
 _read 4:16 PM_

 **DAN**  
Sort of... ive been having nightmares all week  
Also as i was coming home from the party, i went by the woods... and i thought i saw something.  
I guess it was probably just a hallucination but it really freaked me out. P sure i ran most of the way home  
 _read 4:18 PM_

 **EMILY**  
These woods... are they near where your original incident took place?  
 _read 4:18 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yeah  
 _read 4:18 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Okay, let me ask you this...  
How do you feel when you see a forest? Or when you think about being inside one?  
 _read 4:19 PM_

 **DAN**  
Bad  
 _read 4:19 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Bad how?  
 _read 4:19 PM_

 **DAN**  
Like i cant breathe  
 _read 4:20 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Do you think the woods might be a trigger for you? You see a bunch of dark trees and you start thinking about what happened?  
 _read 4:20 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yeah! Like at my uncle's cabin!  
 _read 4:20 PM_

 **EMILY**  
If that's the case, then I think I have an idea for how we might start to deal with this. Let me run something by you...   
 _read 4:20 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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"After that... I think my last text with Dan was in June." Stacy concluded.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**MONDAY, JUNE 5 | 4:15 PM**

**STACY**  
Hi Dan. I was thinking about you today. It's been a few months since we talked and I'm sad with how we left things off. I hope you're doing okay.  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **DAN**  
Hi Stacy. I'm good :)  
I mean I wasn't before, but I think I'm getting better. I can't talk now but... soon?  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **STACY**  
That'd be great  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **DAN**  
Have a good summer vacation!  
 _read 4:15 PM_

 **STACY**  
U too Dan  
 _read 4:15 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**MONDAY, JUNE 5 | 6:25 PM**

**DAN**  
New record!  
 _read 6:25 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Woo!  
 _read 6:25 PM_

 **DAN**  
This time i went right up to the treeline & stood there for ten minutes  
 _read 6:25 PM_

 **EMILY**  
That's great! I'm happy that you're making so much progress.  
 _read 6:25 PM_

 **DAN**  
It's not enough though. I still have to go inside  
I have to see the place where it happened. I have to face it  
 _read 6:26 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Remember not to push yourself too hard, okay? If this starts to stress you out too much, there are always other methods we can try.  
Just take it one day at a time.  
 _read 6:26 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"It's mostly little texts after that, all throughout the summer. One step into the woods... a picnic five feet inside... He was working his way up to it. Working his way up to... last week."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**   
**SUNDAY | 3:30 PM**

**MOM**  
You have everything you need?  
 _read 3:30 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yep  
 _read 3:30 PM_

 **MOM**  
Toothbrush? Underwear? Blanket?  
 _read 3:30 PM_

 **DAN**  
Yep yep yep  
 _read 3:32 PM_

 **MOM**  
Okay. Have fun, stay safe! You want me to come and pick you up from Tony's tomorrow?  
 _read 3:32 PM_

 **DAN**  
You don't have to do that. I'll walk  
 _read 3:32 PM_

 **MOM**  
K. Call if you change your mind?  
 _read 3:32 PM_

 **DAN**  
Lol, you're acting like this is some huge deal. I've crashed at Tony's house like a million times  
 _read 3:33 PM_

 **MOM**  
Not for years! I'm just happy to see that you're doing better.  
I love you.  
 _read 3:33 PM_

 **DAN**  
Thanks mom. Love u too. See u tomorrow  
 _read 3:33 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**

**DAN**  
Hi Dr. Chambal. I'm standing on the edge of the woods for what I hope is going to be the last time. Just wanted to thank you for all your help.  
I'm going in there tonight. And this time, I'm going all the way to where it happened. To end this once and for all.  
I'm going to walk into that house and tell Mr. Red he's not real. And he never was. And he doesn't scare me anymore.  
 _read 5:30 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Hi Dan. Sorry, Sundays are my day off, just saw your messages.  
I'm glad I've been helpful to you, but I hope you understand that trauma isn't something you can just 'fix' with one grand gesture.  
Dealing with what happened is going to take a lifetime of work that may not ever stop. But it will get easier.  
There are also limits to what a mental health professional can do via text, and I do still strongly encourage you to consider traditional therapy as a long term treatment option.  
Also, I hope that if you're going into the woods, you're staying safe and taking a buddy.  
You have a lot of people who care about you, and there are other dangerous things out there besides bad memories.  
Take care, talk soon.  
 _sent 10:13 PM_

 **EMILY**  
Wait i just re-read your last text  
Who's Mr. Red?  
Dan? Who is Mr. Red?  
Are you there?  
Dan???  
 _sent 10:47 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


With trembling hands, Nellie gently placed the phone back onto his clothes. The guilt was like gasoline in her gut, oozing the toxicity into her veins until a fire burned in her mind and throat and ate away at her insides as the realisation hit her that Dan was struggling more than he let on, and none of them did enough to save him. Stacy tried, his mother tried, the therapist tried, but nobody could have saved him from himself, and he needed to prove himself that he wasn't scared of his past anymore, but it turned out that the past was a lot stronger than he had anticipated. The past was always right around the corner, haunting the group of teenagers like an old friend, and taking them down that familiar old path, and all Nellie could feel was the icy cold grip of regret and guilt clawing at her heart as her eyes fell on him. "Oh, Dan... I'm so sorry. I promise, we're going to find a way to help you. And... when you wake up, we're going to be here for you. Whatever you need."

She reached for his hand again, lacing her slender fingers through his boney ones, and squeezed gently as the boy released a soft, yet long sigh at her reassurance.

"We'll help more than that quack doctor. She told Dan it was all in his mind!  _She's_  the reason he went to face Mr. Red!" Noah fired up, face flushed with rigid fury ━ Nellie was about to bark at him for acting as though the doctor was the one to cause his coma through a domino effect rather than the entity in the woods traumatizing him to the point of night terrors and the like, but to her surprise, Lily was the one to step in with clenched fists and a frown.

"That's not fair, Noah. Dr. Chambal didn't tell him to do that. She did the best she could with the information Dan gave her."

"And it  _did_ seem like she was helping him. It seemed like he was getting better at dealing with everything, until..." Lucas spoke up, voice wavering until it trailed off as he swallowed ━ not willing to say the name of the creature that had been tormenting them.

"...Until Mr. Red ruined everything. Again." Ava finished for him.

"Everything that's happened... it seems like it all started when Dan went inside the ruins." Nellie offered.

"That makes sense... I mean, that's how it all started ten years ago, right?" Stacy agreed.

"First one of us goes in, and it wakes him up. Then more of us show up, and his power grows..."

"So, what... Mr. Red used Dan as bait to lure us into the woods? To increase his power?" Noah added into the conversation, face paling and the warmth of his body swallowed away as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place right before them.

"That dirt monster  _did_ say I was supposed to bring everyone." She continued, subconsciously rubbing at her throat where the slowly fading bruises were planted all those days ago, as if to remind her of that night, as well as the thrumming vibration in her wrist that pounded to the rhythm of her heart beat.

"So we don't give him what he wants. We all just stay out of the woods, and that way things don't get any worse!" Lily suggested, and truthfully that seemed like the likelier option by far, but Nellie knew that she won't be able to rest until she knows Redfield had been defeated. And it seemed as though Lucas shared the same exact thought process as Nellie when they both shared a worried look.

"I think things are already worse. I think... in his sick way, Mr. Red has been doing us favors. To get on our good side." He said, running his fingers through his dark hair, dishevelling it, and then fixing it all in one moment.

"Huh? Favors like what?" Andy barked.

"Like the bear attack, Andy. And the crows that attacked Cody and Jocelyn." Nellie explained, but her shoulders deflated even more so when Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"Those  _could_  have been coincidences. When your town is surrounded by woods, animal attacks just happen sometimes."

To Nellie's side, Stacy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and anxiously chewed on her bottom lip, "Not... like this." And then finally, Stacy unleashed the drama, and allowed the burden free from her shoulders, between her and Britney, the blackmail she had over her, and the attack from the skeletal plant creature, "And then it just... threw me the bag, and her phone fell right out."

"It gave you Britney's phone?! This proves everything! Mr. Red  _knew_ about the blackmail, and he helped you get to the video!" Nellie exclaimed, hope welling up inside of her knowing that they were getting somewhere with the Redfield mystery and not stuck in the same loop that smashed them back to Day 1 each time they tried to figure anything out.

"I don't know how, but... yeah. Seems like."

"Okay, that explains why Britney invited us to a party, but it  _doesn't_ explain why she suddenly decided to stop being a jerk to Lily." Ava said, chewing on her already chipped nail polish.

"Wait, do you think Mr. Red can affect people's  _minds?_ " Nellie frowned.

"N━no way! There's no proof that Mr. Red can do anything like that!" Lily barked ━ flustered and in utter denial that perhaps Britney wasn't intending to be friendly to Lily on her own intuition and was instead being controlled as a mouthpiece. Ava seemed to have the exact idea when she spoke her next sentence.

"Okay, but you've gotta admit there's _something_ wrong there. She's acting totally━"

"She's just acting like she used to! Before she started hanging out with monsters like Jocelyn and Cody!" Lily's usual tender voice rose to a shout as her patience wore thin. To everyone's surprise, there was no trace of tears on her face, not in her eyes, nor in the track marks down her reddening face ━ her eyes were flashing with indigidance and anger like a crack of lightning in the dark night sky. The volume of her voice seemed to affect everyone, even Dan, who seemed to flinch back from the sound as if it was a physical blow to his chest, his eyebrows furrowing as if in pain.

"Nnnnn... don't..." The frail boy groaned, and to his side, Salem bounced up like a guardian sent to protect the teenagers, as she scampered to the foot of the bed where the rest of the gang stood, and turned towards him with her fur puffing up and a growl leaving her fangs.

A cluster of collective breaths left the lungs of each of the teenagers as they regarded what they thought was Dan's comatose body, now speaking coherent words. Nellie was the first to speak, heart leaping with hope, until it plundered in her chest like the sound of horses hooves against flat earth, "Dan... can you hear us? Are you there?"

Dan spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper above the silence forcing Nellie to lean in closer as she strained to hear his words ━ until suddenly, above them, the lights flickered, and as quick as a crocodiles jaws clamp down on its prey, as did his hands around her wrist.

Almost immediately, memories of her nightmare came flooding back ━ the pain in her wrist pounded and stabbed as if the breaking of her wrist in the dream had happened in reality and he was toying with the aftershocks. Her entire vision flashes white as her face paled, and she was practically humming with the urge to yank and claw herself free from his grip,  "Dan! What are you━"

"Don't... fight..." He whimpered out ━ his voice was weak, but it was no match for the amount of strength he had to be able to painfully clamp his hands down tighter around her wrists into a near-breaking point ━ but the searing pain in her dream was nothing compared to the pain in the flesh. Her eyes were frozen as she yanked and clawed herself free from his grip, but each tug she took intensified the brutal ache, and her muscles screamed for her to get away ━ all the while, the beeping from his heart monitor was speeding up to a near breaking point; fast and irregular.

"Ow! Dan, let go! You're hurting me!"

"No... helping... help friends..."

To her relief, Andy lunged forward first, whilst everyone stood around in stunned silence, frozen in time, he reached for Dan's arm, but within seconds of him rushing forward to grab a secure hold of Dan, his face dropped into pure horror as he was flung backwards like a toy being chucked away by a bored child, crashing into Ava and Noah and sending them spiralling to the floor in a pile of limbs and shouts of their distress.

All around them, the bright lights of the hospital room began to flicker into darkness ominously as they did when Mr. Red showed up to the pep rally, like a pulse of a heart. And like a body rising from the dead, Dan slowly rose from his resting place ━ and when he spoke, the voice was not of his own, but a terrible, haunting whisper that seemed to fill the room into the brim. "All... better now... everyone... together..."

Before Nellie could even respond to the sinking tight feeling in her chest as she realised they had fallen right into Redfield's trap, fallen right into the web of a spider, the lights had completely shattered, and plunged the room into complete darkness, but Dan's grip on her wrist had not loosened in the slightest, even as he became limp.

"Nellie, what do we do?!" Lily screamed as she clung onto the nearest person that happened to be Stacy.

"Lily... stay back!" She ordered, eyes blazing with fury, "He's too strong! I don't want you to get hurt."

"O━okay, but what do we do? We have to━"

"Staaaaaaaay." The howling of wind came from seemingly nowhere in particular, as the room around the group of teenagers began to warp and stretch around them until the back wall of the room faded away into pitch darkness. They didn't have much time to gather their thoughts as almost immediately, the group huddled around each other to starve off the harsh, strong wind that swirled around them like a tight hug, as the monitor of Dan's heart rate continued to quicken, until it blended into an unsteady keening sound like a flat lining monitor.

"Dan... Dan, if you're in there,  _please!_  Let me go!" Nellie screamed into the void, still tugging uselessly, but he didn't budge ━ he continued clinging onto her like he depended on her.

"Don't go... all better now... now we play..."

" _Better?!_ How the hell are things better?!"

"No... I helped... all better now..."

"Yeah, this is  _not_  my idea of 'better'! So how about you  _get the hell away from us!"_ Ava practically growled her words as she gestured wildly to their blind surroundings, until the chair Stacy was only just sitting on, hovered into the air, and flew towards Dan. But it didn't connect him, because before it could smash against his body, an inhuman, grotesque growl left his lips as he deflected the chair with his forearms, sending splinters of wood spraying as if his skin was pure steel, before it tumbled down a blank tunnel where the wind was emitting from. 

An idea sprung into Nellie's mind, as she quickly remembered the  _gift_ Redfield had given Ava, because within this fight, their only hope was Ava's strength, "Ava... that's it! Use your powers!"

"Her  _what_ now?!" Andy exclaimed.

"Uh, I just tried! It didn't work!"

"No, not like that! Use your powers on me!"

"What?!"

"Use your powers to pull me over to you!"

"I... I can't! What if I hurt you?"

"You really think you can make things worse right now?"

Accepting her words, Ava steeled herself, clenching her fists as her breathing came out fast and ragged. She channelled all of her strength and her most prominent emotions until her dark brown eyes flashed into a ruby hue, until suddenly in one burst of power, Nellie was yanked backwards, and her wrist was torn free from Dan's tough grip.

"NO!" He bellowed as his hands became empty when Nellie tumbled backwards into Ava, knocking her down to the floor once more ━ and they could only watch as Dan thrashed around in the bed as though he was having a seizure, until his body movements seized the moment light flooded back into the room. But by the time Nellie's eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness, the hospital room had returned to normal. The wind had died, the chair still remained shattered on the floor, and Dan was found, releasing a long shuddering sigh, whimpering his last words on the hospital bed... "Not... better..." as his body went limp, and he fell bonelessly onto the mattress.

There was a long silence overhanging them as they tried to process the event that had took place, but as Lily peered up underneath her dark curls, she blinked when she found the world around them normal. "Is... is it over?"

Nellie could only wince as she noticed the purple welts scattering her forearm to where Dan had a hold on her, and there at her wrists, it pounded and thrummed. She cuffed her hand gently around it, soothing it gently with gentle rubs as Lucas edged himself toward the monitors beside Dan's bed, and then, he gently placed his hand on his forehead.

"Looks like it... for now." Lucas concluded as he pulled his hand away from his burning, and profusely sweating forehead.

"Is anyone hurt?" Stacy asked, standing up from her position on the floor and wiping her sweaty hands on her black tights.

"Only on my everywhere." Ava scoffed as she side eyed Nellie, "Next time, I want a plan where no one bodyslams me onto dingy linoleum."

Nellie could only sheepishly smile at her chiding as she tucked a strand of her messy brown locks behind her ear, and brushed the rest of the chaos out of her eyes, "Sorry... at least it worked, right?"

"Yeah, so what the hell was..." Noah started to say but paused when a flustered nurse hurried into the room in blue scrubs, and a serious frown contorting his features as he checked Dan's heart monitor for any abnormalities, but the longer he scanned the heart rate and checked his vitals, the more his frown deepened.

"We were, um, just leaving. Sorry." Nellie awkwardly announced, more so to the rest of her friends who followed her wide eyes that spoke volumes while her head jerked repeatedly towards the door until they got her message as she furtively scooped Salem back into her school bag before the nurse could notice her crime. And as everyone filed out of the hospital room and out into the corridor, Nellie took a chance to glance back at the nurse to see him picking up a piece of splintered wood from the floor with a perplexed look on his face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The hospital lobby was deserted by the time they entered the common area to sign out of the visitors log book ━ no longer could Nellie hear the sound of coughing patients hacking their lungs out, and sobbing babies vomiting up gunk ━ it was quiet, and it made her wonder just how long had they been in Dan's room, and just how long had that episode began. Underneath the plasma TV displaying boring infomercials was a little clock that showed it was only half past 5, but it still felt like it had been hours.

No one seemed to want to speak about what had just happened, but Nellie needed to get it off her chest. There were bruises on her arm to prove that Dan had somehow awakened during his coma and essentially attacked her, but even if there had been security cameras in his room, they wouldn't have been able to see anything considering it was pitch black when everything seemed to shift. She found it hard to process what exactly happened in that room ━ but to her, it sounded like he was spewing that same stuff he was saying in her dream ━ but now it felt a hell of a lot more real when there were witnesses around to see what she experienced.

She turned to her group with a frown, eyeing how the rest of them all shared the exact same emotionally distraught, and emotionally exhausted gaze, "Okay... what the hell was all that?"

" _Bad._  It was bad." Lily murmured as she played with the frayed edges of her sweater.

"Yeah, can we talk about that...  _thing?_  Was that..." Lucas trailed off, but the answer was at the tip of his tongue.

"It was him." Nellie confirmed, and as soon as it left her lips, it felt more real, as if admitting that what they saw was one step closer to giving him what he wanted.

"I never thought... I mean, it felt so  _real."_ Stacy murmured, shoulders shuddering with each intake of breath.

"It  _was_ real." Noah stated as he took his turn to sign out. None of them knew how to react ━ was Redfield using Dan as a mouthpiece to dry and draw them all together into one place? That was the only explanation. If Redfield gets more powerful the more they were together, then there was no surprise he would have used Dan as bait so they could be lured into his trap. It was a sick, and twisted game they're playing at. If they want to defeat him, then they'll have to do it together ━ they're stronger in numbers, but so was Redfield.

To her side, Andy let out a sigh, chuckling as he cracked his knuckles nervously. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna need about ten square feet of pizza to process all this. You in?"

That definitely sounded nice after the rough week they all had. Their senior year of high school had practically only just began and it was already brimming with terror. Smashing down a full pizza to herself sounded like a miracle. Smiling with a vigorous nod, she replied, "You're on. But one sec. The rest of us need to sign out first." She took the necessary steps to the front desk, followed by Lily and Ava, and reached for the pen that was resting beside it, but when her eyes fell on the clipboard lying next to the sign out sheet, she paused in her movements.  _"Daniel Pierce, unresponsive... Rebecca Fisher, unresponsive... Marcus Tittle, unresponsive... Charles Cooper, unresponsive..."_ But suddenly, the clipboard was snatched out of her hand by an irritated nurse who glared at her. "Uh, sorry. I... was looking for the sign out sheet."

Without responding, the nurse gave her one last look of disapproval, before she grabbed her sweater from the desk and marched away, leaving the desk unattended and deserted. "Nice, she left the computer logged in. Here's our chance to do some digging." Ava suggested with a smirk.

"Y━you want to break into the hospital's private records?!" Lily gawked.

"There's, like, a dozen other people in comas who've been admitted over the last week. We want to know why."

To her side, Lily began to wring her hands nervously in thought, before she nodded her head in understanding. "I━If you're gonna do it, I'll help. But you better decide fast!"

Nellie nodded her own agreement. "If it can help us save Dan, I say we go for it." Soon enough, the group had been assembled into two teams ━ while Ava kept watch with the rest of the gang who lounged around in the waiting chairs acting as casual as ever for the lookout for any nurses, both Lily and Nellie crept behind the counter. "Okay, what are we looking for?"

She watched in intrigue as Lily's nimble fingers danced across the keyboard with practiced ease as she searched through the computer's directory as if this was just a hobby to hack into a hospital's database. "Here." Lily pointed her finger towards an icon that read 'inpatient records', and soon enough, with a few clicks of a mouse, Ava had appeared beside them, looking over their shoulders.

"Everyone's in their spots... find anything good yet?"

"Yup, see, this is the same list I saw. Look at this, all patients unresponsive, all admitted in the last week..." Nellie explained, eyes trailing over the names while her fingers scrolled down the page, "Oh, if you click on them there's more specifics."

"'Found near Nightingale Ave'... This one was picked up near the tree line on Aspen Street... Nellie, these are all..." Lily trailed off.

"The streets surrounding the woods. Yeah, I know."

"What's that?" Ava perked up, fingers tapping at the bottom of the screen until Nellie scrolled down.

"Looks like some notes from a Dr. Montrese in Pathology... 'experiencing a resurgence of similar epidemics in Westchester's history...'."

"Doc listed out some dates for us, that's handy. Whoa, starting in the 1800s?"

"1800s, 1970s..."

"... And ten years ago..."

Before they could think too much of it, Lucas began to cough dramatically and wave his arms around ━ the signal Ava must have picked to let them know if someone was coming, Nellie had figured from her flustered reaction, but as Nellie was about to close the browser window, her eyes caught something. Quickly clicking the print icon, Nellie closed the window whilst Ava and Lily scurry out from behind the counter and stand in front of the desk, blocking Nellie from view.

"Nellie, seriously..." Ava warned under her breath.

Chancing a glance over her shoulder, Nellie spotted the nurse heading towards the lobby, and she quickly dropped down, staring up at the printer as she awaited for the last page.

"Nellie!" Lily whispered harshly.

To her relief, the printer settled into silence and immediately she snatched the pages up into her hand, shuffling them into a nearby spare manilla folder and tucking it under her shirt. Silently, she crawled out from behind the counter, just as the nurses feet appeared in front of her line of vision. Her heart sank as she quickly rummaged through her brain for an excuse. "There's my contact!" She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Good thing I found it. These things are expensive, huh?" She grinned as she mimed picking up something from the floor, before she scrambled to her feet and hurried away to rejoin her friends.

"I hope whatever you found was worth it. That was a  _close call._ " Lucas chided as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't worry, we got something."

As Nellie motioned the gang to come closer, she pulled the folder out from underneath her shirt, and together they read through the hospital files quietly while the nurse resumed her position at the receptionist desk. Together, they discovered parts of the mysteries that shroud their birthplace in a horror filled past that involved an influx of coma patients closely followed by a massacre. And it hadn't been the first time. Each time, there was a sudden influx of unresponsive patients, followed by the death of one or more persons, followed by calm. It was unclear if the events were related somehow, but Noah's heart sank the lower their eyes travelled until he read the date that had damaged him. November 3rd ━ the date of Jane's death.

Nellie instinctively grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his as though they were made for each other, and she squeezed. He didn't squeeze back. He couldn't hear a thing ━ his mind racing with the images of Jane's death, replaying over and over and over again like a punch to the gut each time.

"Everything leads back to Redfield..." Nellie murmured as a tense silence fell over the group of teenagers.

"It just keeps getting worse... how are we supposed to do anything about this?" Stacy asked.

"There must be a way... we just..." Lucas didn't finish his sentence, instead it trailed off into would could have been, but no one else spoke up for a long time. Everyone seemingly adrift in their own fears, their own anger, and their own trauma being relived the second Redfield returned.

Nellie took a deep breath, steeling her thoughts, "Guys... I know we can get through this. We just have to stick together. I'm more terrified than I've ever been in my life. I honestly don't know if I have the strength to handle all of this... but I don't  _have_  to be strong enough... not on my own. Because I have all of you. Together, we're stronger than any of us can be on our own. Together, I know we can do this."

After the words sprung from her mouth like a burst of a pipe leak, the tension hung in the air for a minute too long as Nellie began to second guess all the words she spoke, and for a moment there, she was worried the tension was never going to break until a grin broke out on her face when Andy rolled his eyes with a playful scoff.

"Okay, but I asked about pizza, like, forever ago... so can we take care of that first?"

Laughter burst from her lungs, but she wasn't sure if she should be insulted that her words seemed to not have sunk in. Though she was glad the solemn silence had been broken.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need an entire pizza just for me." Ava nodded along, pursing her lips in thought.

"Pizza Mega?" Lucas suggested, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his eyes twinkled with happiness.

" _Obviously._ " Stacy grinned.

"We haven't been there in ages... think they still have those little honey packets for the crust?" Noah questioned, not entirely realizing Nellie was still holding his hand until he squeezed her hand back.

"I wonder if anyone's beaten my high score on the Meteor Madness cabinet..." Lily wondered as Stacy linked her arms with hers.

With bright smiles on each of their faces as they ushered each other out of the hospital building, Noah turned to face Nellie with a smile that crinkled at the corners of his earthy brown eyes, a smile that awakened butterflies in the pit of her stomach and whisked away what fear she had. It was the kind of smile she had never seen from him much, the kind of smile that made you feel glad to be alive in that moment ━ it made him appear a little more human. No more eyebrows scrunched up into a frown, no more sneer tainting his lips, no more eyes showing sadness, and hands no longer clenched with anxiety.

It was like for a split second everything stopped, and his smile just pierced through the cloud of fog that had drowned her the entire day. His calm demeanor, his soft expression ━

He was smiling, and he was smiling at her.

But something at the edge of her mind was telling her that this was going to hurt.

...

 


	33. act seven

 

 

 

 

 

for my dearly  
beloved  
 _g h o s t_

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 7.**  ❛ PARTY FAVORS. ❜

__

**'IN THE END, YOU TOO WILL DIE AND BECOME A GHOST.'**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

 

//

chapter twenty five ──  **025\. MY NEW FRIEND**  
chapter twenty six ──  **026\. BEFORE THE STORM**  
chapter twenty seven ──  **027\. IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO**  
chapter twenty eight ── **028**.  **THRILLED TO DEATH**

//


	34. chapter twenty five

**025. MY NEW FRIEND**  
 **(** chapter twenty five ** _!_**        **)**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
TEN YEARS AGO.  
 **SATURDAY. — 2:42 PM.****

 

 

 

 

 **NOT ENOUGH AIR**  was passing through Nellie's trembling lips to connect to her starving lungs as her little legs pumped as hard as they could through the woods. Her chest was tight, her breaths were short, her stomach was coiled into a spring tempting to spill her lunch out onto the overgrown path she was taking, and she was robbed of all her senses replacing it with enough adrenaline to flood through her system, enough for her feet to pound heavily against the dewy earth as she tried to find a spot to hide. She could feel the woods around her closing in with each thunder of her heartbeat, with each unsteady footfall she made, making her appear more like a newborn deer ━ she could feel him everywhere, his presence, and his eyes, all at once. Watching her, and waiting for her to fail.

There was a thick bough of trees overhanging a set of rocks where she bolted towards and heaved herself over, skidding to a halt behind it, and she can't help but almost gag at the squelching of mud beneath her shoes as it oozed in past her ankles and spread up her legs. She kneeled there, bright clothes almost disguised by the disturbed dark mud as she attempted to catch her breath from the exertion, but all around her, she could hear Redfield's mocking whispers as he hunted her down like a rabbit.

"...where... are you, Nellie?" His disembodied eerie whispers were like a harsh susurration of the wind in her ears, brushing against the foliage surrounding her that coated her in secrecy.

She burrowed herself deeper into the hollow of the damp decaying roots of the brough that she practically blended in, eyes fixed between the roots in search for movement. But as she was too focused on keeping a lookout, she hadn't noticed a flurry of ants scurried across her body like water ━ splashing against her shoes and heading towards her legs. If she hadn't been chased in this moment, she would had already jumped up and began madly swatting at her body as she bolted away in screams of terror ━ but Redfield was still out there, searching, and listening out for her every movement. She sucked in a breath, teeth clamping down on her bottom lip to hold in the scream she desperately wanted to release as she could feel the sting of their bites as they skittered across her knuckles, towards her wrist, and into the sleeve of her dress.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a loud scream ━ not from the bites, but from her body being completely blind sided as thick vines seized her from behind, restraining her arms to her sides as she was dragged across the forest floor and into the clearing like she was nothing more than a rag doll being tossed around by a child.

"...FoUnD yOu..." He howled in delight, like a long dust of wind as he dragged her towards the dilapidated ruins, hanging her upside down until she was dangling in front of the dark doorway like a meal ━ but a childish giggle escaped her lips instead of a horror filled scream as the vines set her down safely on her feet without so much as a scratch on her body ━ aside from the aching bites of many ants.

"You cheater. You peeked!" She cried out in feign anger as she scratched at the irritated red bites up her arms. She could already hear her mother yelling at her for being filthy, covered in dirt that ruined her pretty dress, and her recklessness to be bitten by insects. Her dad had told her that anytime she got an ant bite, she'll need to put some toothpaste on her affected areas, but she hated the feeling of sticky toothpaste on her skin even if it eased the burning and itchy sensation. She'd rather scratch at her skin raw than run all the way home just to lather it on and then return to play with her friends.

"... nNnNooOoo...."

From behind them, she heard a shriek of childish laughter from Noah as he tumbled out of the branches of a nearby tree and landed softly on the long grass with a resounding grunt. "No fair, you didn't tell me you could control  _birds_ and stuff! They tried to peck me in my eye!" His eyes were alight with pure mischief as he stumbled to his feet and brushed off the dried grass from his striped jumper.

His sister, Jane, could be seen, in a flurry of blue and orange as she wildly kicked her feet at an invisible claw yanking her out from behind a tree stump by her arms as she giggled loudly. "Mr. Red, stop, you're gonna rip my dress! You play too rough!"

A whisper of laughter came from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at once, rising off the stones, brushing through the leaves as if the voice belonged to the trees when Mr. Red dragged the rest of the gang out into the clearing with the assistance of vines ━ but as Nellie continued to laugh along with her friends being dragged around by an invisible being, her laughter had been snuffed out when her eyes travelled across the clearing until she spotted a dark, shadowy figure standing in the window of the ruins ━ watching her closely.

Upon seeing the figure, the short hair on the nape of her neck bristled, a rush of goosebumps rose to the surface of her skin, spreading along the back of her neck, and drifting towards her arms and legs. She wasn't sure whether or not she should be scared or not ━ but there was a strange sense of corruption mixing in with a sense of understanding as they regarded each other like an eagle does before it swooped in for a field mouse.

"Hey guys! Come see this!" She called out to her friends, voice wary and wobbly as she instantly gathered their curious attention.

"Come see what?" Dan questioned, too busy picking up random sticks and rocks he found on the ground to use in his slingshot toy.

"There's someone inside the house."

"Mr. Red... is that you? The  _real_ you?" Ava was the only one brave enough to call out to him specifically ━ but disappointed flooded across her features when the vines receded back into the trees as the figure in the house shrank back into the darkness that shrouded him.

"Aww, it _is_  him. He's shy." Stacy frowned, seemingly as disappointed as Ava ━ but Nellie wasn't sure if she was ready to meet Mr. Red ━ not with the powers he possessed to be able to control the woods, resurrect dead animals. A part of her was curious, as any child would be, but the sensible part of her told her differently. She had been told many warnings during her upbringing to stay away from the shadows, many of which had been ingrained into her mind like a tattoo, but right now, she desperately wanted to see him for herself.

"Mr. Red, you should come outside!" Jane suggested, bouncing up from her spot from the grass with a gleeful glint in her earthy brown eyes, but immediately came his response, a whisper of a drawn out  _no_. She frowned, "How come?"

"...because... you'll be... scared..."

His words sent chills down Nellie's spine, but Jane was none-the-wiser to her reaction to his claim, "Aw, you won't scare  _me._ "

"Me neither." Andy agreed, and not long after that, he began to chant loudly, beckoning Mr. Red to leave his house so they could see him for the first time ━ and some of the others quickly joined in on his chants. "Coooome out! Coooome out!"

They all chanted, stomping their feet on the dirt, and shaking their enclosed tiny fists up and down as the words continued to bellow from their lips ━ all but one, Noah, who immediately sensed the same amount of uncertainty Nellie felt, "Guys, maybe we shouldn't━" But his words were soon drowned out by the excitement of their chanting, growing louder and louder that anyone who was innocently chopping wood could have heard their chants and notified the local police that there was some type of cult meeting in the middle of the woods with a bunch of kids.

The chanting had become a drone of sounds mingling together, until finally, around the children, the shadows pulsed within the ruins as if the air was being warped and twisted, and a coil of darkness bled out from the doorway. It continued to boil until it congealed into a shifting black shape that was almost humanoid levitating a foot above the rotten threshold of the delipidated ruins. Its eyes were a bright white ━ just two shimmering dots, but the rest of its features were concealed by darkness.

"Hello..." Mr. Red greeted, and immediately, the world around them became distorted as if he had been cut out of a horror movie with the colours not quite right and placed into the real world where whenever he moved, his surroundings seemed to move with him, bowing and twisting.

Lily belted out a horrified shriek at the sight of him followed by a bunch of expletives from the rest of the children as they attempted to come to terms of what just materialised in front of them. Perhaps they had been expecting an actual human, not an entirely ghastly entity that floated like a ghost.

"...fRiEnDs...." He innocently said, and then his eyes flashed a brilliant neon blue, "PLAY!"

"Everyone get back!" Nellie ordered as she jumped in between her friends and Mr. Red with fear lining her features hidden behind a mask of bravery. "Don't touch my friends, you freak!"

Mr. Red couldn't take another step closer from his hovering position in the doorway ━ he tried to pass through the threshold, but a flash of light beaming from the sun above the trees seemed to hurt him as he winced, and shielded his face before recoiling, and receding back into his house. "...nnnnnoooo... no friends... no play... all alone..."

The brightness of his eyes had been snuffed out into pure darkness as he disappeared from sight and all around the children, the forest fell still, the world felt as though it stopped as they gathered their thoughts, and struggled to catch their breaths that had been chased out of their lungs in the wake of Redfield's appearance.

"Did you guys... see that?" Dan questioned.

"What  _was_ that?! What is he?!" Noah almost screeched his questions, almost collapsing to the floor but holding himself strong.

"Who cares _?!_  Let's get outta here!" Lucas yelled ━ almost about to take off into a sprint until Lily pulled him back.

"B━but... he's not even following us. Maybe h━he doesn't want to hurt us?" She meekly offered, and now that Nellie had focused her breathing, Lily did have a point. He could have easily hurt them when they were playing every time they visited, but he didn't, and he truly seemed upset when they were frightened of him.

Turning her attention back to the ruins, she spotted the shadowy figure hovering in the doorway, poking his head around the corner to watch them as they spoke, "I don't know, but it seems like light hurts him."

"Like a vampire?" Ava perked up.

"Or maybe the outside just gives him a migraine." Noah said.

"What's a migraine?"

"It's like a really bad headache. Our mom gets them."

"Poor Mr. Red." Jane sulked, puffing out her bottom lip as she sympathetically watched Mr. Red in the doorway.

"We gotta help him... but what can we do?" Dan asked.

"Oh, I know! Remember last year when I got an ear infection and I couldn't leave the house for a whole week?" Lily quickly said, a grin stretching across her chubby cheeks.

"Yeah. We all came over and watched movies and stuff." Nellie replied, nodding along to her words, but not entirely understand where she was going with it.

But Andy did, with a large smile, he turned to the gang and said, "Oh, I get it! We do that for Mr. Red! Since he's afraid of the light, we could come back here when it's dark and... um... go  _inside_..."

His words become more unsure as he went on, as did the rest of the group as they fell into silence, and turned towards the house. Nellie couldn't help but think about the last she was at the ruins with Jane, and went inside the building only to be thrown around by harsh gust of wind ━ what if that happened again if they entered?

"It... it'll be okay, right?" Stacy mumbled.

"As long as we remember the rules..." Lily said.

"Everyone plays together. We all go, or  _nobody_ goes." Lucas reminded the group who hummed in agreement.

Nellie was tempted to explain to the group what had happened to her and Jane when they first visited ━ they already knew, but, would they need a reminder of the dangers that could lie beyond that threshold? They all seemed hesitant, yet, on board with the idea of entering the house, but Nellie still felt unsure. The raw fear she felt when she and Jane were being tossed around was almost traumatizing, she didn't want the same thing to happen to the rest of them and risk them being injured in the process, but she was also willing to give Mr. Red a second chance. Maybe he thought they were playing.

"So...  _are_  we all going?" She spoke up, eyeing her friends reactions wearily until one by one, they all nodded their affirmative. She glanced towards the doorway to where a sad pair of eyes stared at her expectantly and nodded as well, "I'll go for you guys... I'm... I'm not sure about Mr. Red. But we gotta stick together. So if you all  _really_ want to do this... then let's do it. We'll come back here at night... and we'll go inside."

"How are we going to convince our parents to let us?" Noah suddenly asked ━ a question Nellie didn't even think of in that moment.

"We'll think of something." She smiled reassuringly, though the inside of her mind was screaming about the red flags while everyone else eagerly delved into a discussion of the sleepover plan. She chanced a glimpse back towards the doorway and caught the sad eyes of Redfield once more, eyes now blue and filled with glee.

**...**

 


	35. chapter twenty six

**026. BEFORE THE STORM**  
 **(** chapter twenty six ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**SATURDAY. 6:14 PM** **

 

 **SOFT ALTERNATIVE MUSIC** drifted out fromthe speakers of Nellie's beloved ancient radio she had been gifted when she was younger ━ an item of which she had grown up with and developed an emotional attachment to while it sat, quiet and unassuming on her dresser. It filled the air of her bedroom with the sounds of poetic lyrics and ukulele notes as she found herself lounging on her bed, tired eyes lazily gazing out of her bedroom window while her slender fingers ran through the soft fur of Salem whose tiny body vibrated and thrummed in ease.

She couldn't get the image of Dan out of her mind. Seeing him weak, and frail, practically appearing like a corpse with barely enough movement in his limbs to allude to him being aware of his surroundings and their voices ━ and then suddenly, him becoming very much awake, grabbing a hold of Nellie's wrist with surprising strength and twisting and turning the room into a vortex. It didn't seem real ━ but she knew it was Redfield that had taken control of him. It was like Redfield was spying through the eyes of Dan to find out where they were ━ and it made matters worse when they rummaged through the private files of the hospital to find that the gang hadn't been the first, and only group of kids who had been contacted by Redfield.

It was like a ritual ━ every ten years Redfield would emerge from his hiding place to prey on naive children ━ and as soon as he was powerful enough, he'd massacre the lot of them. What if they were next?

"Are you still thinking about what happened at the hospital?" Lily suddenly asked and when Nellie's eyes drifted towards the source, she spotted Lily sitting on the floor carefully applying her eyeliner at the full-length mirror by the door, with an odd expression contorting her features as she attempted to not poke her eye out in the process.

"You mean the part where Dan came out of his coma just to become the mouthpiece of a creepy forest entity? Kind of hard not to think about..." She wasn't sure if she even wanted to go to Britney's party or not. The image of Dan was something to spoil anyone's mood and a part of her just wanted to lay in bed and imagine the scene unfolding until she eventually passed out. But, she would be lying if being invited to Britney's party against her will wasn't something she wanted to miss out on. It would be the only opportunity in her lifetime where she'd feel like she was on the same level as her, and besides, after the week they've had, they all deserve a break from the supernatural.

"I'm gonna let my metaphorical hair down and really  _chill_." Even if she still felt shaken up from the whole ordeal, at least her fake confidence seemed to trick her brain into believing otherwise. "Er, maybe not all the way down since we'll be knee-deep in enemy territory." She added.

"Britney's not that  _bad_...  _all_ the time..." Lily defended, and Nellie wanted to roll her eyes. It was clear that Lily was head over heels for the popular girl, but her admiration and infatuation towards the girl shouldn't override her evil tendencies to bully everyone. "At least a party might get everyone's mind off the whole...  _Mr. Red_  situation for a while, you know?" Turning back to the mirror, Lily inspected her outfit and her makeup before tucking her black locks behind her ears.

"At least  _one_  of us is excited about this." Nellie said in jest, as she gently placed the sleepy kitten on her pillow and made her way over to the mirror where Lily stood. She gently began to play with Lily's silky hair until her slender fingers weaved the strands of hair into a braid that fell loosely without an elastic bland to hold it in place.

"I kind of am. I, um, I feel pretty good about tonight." Turning her face to give Nellie more access to her visage, Nellie began to brush a light amount of shimmer eyeshadow over Lily's eyelids who instinctively closed her eyes, "It's crazy but, even with everything going on right now, I think things are finally starting to go my own way!"

Nellie face fell and her hands stopped their work, at Lily's tendencies to look over the reality of people. Lily was the type of person to always see past the bad, and always look for the good in people even if they weren't redeemable characters ━ and that was an attribute that was somewhat admiring, but at the same time it was dangerous to have as it would give people the opportunity to take advantage of her kindness. "Are you really,  _really_ sure that Britney's sudden... change of heart has nothing to do with Redfield?"

Lily visibly shuddered at the mention of his name and opened her eyes. "I... I know it seems that way, Nellie, but there's no proof...  _h_ _━_ _he_  can do something like that. Maybe she really  _is_ trying to turn a new leaf like Stacy said..."

"Listen, Lily, I hope Stacy's right. Can you imagine a world where Britney's actually... tolerable?"

The girl laughed at her comment, but nodded along anyways, "Of course I can, silly. I keep trying to tell you guys she wasn't  _always_  like this."

"I know you guys used to be friends, but it's actually impressive how positive you are about her." There's a grin on Nellie's face as Lily turned away from her, now facing the mirror, and giving Nellie a clear view of her reflection that displayed the roguish pink that painted her cheeks with a sheepish smile.

"We... um, well. We kissed, once, actually..." She admitted, and Nellie could almost emotionally combust at how adorable she looked as if she was trying to hide her entire being from the world, but there was a bright grin on her face as she looked back on the memory.

"Really?" Nellie wouldn't had ever even accused of Lily and Britney sharing a kiss. Britney was always so cruel, always had her hounds of hell to work as her bodyguards while she raised hell within the school grounds, the girl who constantly belittled Lily, shamed her weight, and ordered her minions around to do her bidding.

"It was back in middle school... at, um, Girl Scout camp. We were up  _super_ late talking about stuff. She asked if there were any boys I liked and I said no... and then she asked if there were any  _girls_  I liked..." Her blush deepened immensely as she looked down at her nervous intertwined fingers and she bit her lip. "I've always liked her. Even before I knew that it was a crush. I just... admired her. How she wasn't ever afraid to stand her ground.

"At least _that_  hasn't changed." Nellie quipped with a small smile. After hearing how fond Lily was as she spoke of Britney, it made her seem a lot more human. It was sweet that they had been young at one point, being good friends and they shared a kiss years before life became a popularity contest. It must have been painful for Lily to see Britney walk down the halls at school with all the memories of their childhood, and not even being allowed to speak to her in fear of being bullied.

"That was the night we kissed. And, I don't know, everything just kind of... felt right. I know you're trying to look out for me, Nellie. But you don't know her like I do... and this is a risk I'm willing to take."

"Okay... but remember that I've got your back. If she ends up hurting you, she's dead meat." Nellie and Lily both shared solidarity moment, smiling at each other fondly before Nellie spread her arms open, a silent invitation for Lily to step forward and for them to wrap their arms around each other in a tight hug.

"Enough with all of this serious business. We've got a party to get to, and you need to change!" Looking down at herself, Nellie almost forgot she was still in her sweatpants and bed shirt, not entirely bothering to get out of bed since there wasn't much to do during the day anyway. She had showered, and lathered her hair with her favorite scented shampoo and conditioner, but other than that, she crawled straight into a pair of comfy sweatpants. "How often do you dress up? You should go all out! Really  _wow_  everyone!"

Nellie was used to wearing a pair of jeans and a jacket wherever she went ━ it was something she was most comfortable with, something she identified with most. But she did have some fancy articles of clothing hidden in her closet that hadn't seen the light of day ━ the clothes she had bought during a splurge but never had the opportunity to wear, but it wouldn't hurt to doll herself up for a party. And besides, she had managed to influence Noah to tag along to the party when they all gathered at the pizza place. He originally was going to pass the opportunity, scoffing at Nelle's question when she asked if he was going as if she grew a third head. After a few prompts, puppy dog eyes, and reminding him that the group all needed a night to themselves, distracted from the events that had transpired this week, finally, he agreed.

She didn't know why she wanted to impress him so much, specifically. It's not like he minded her jeans and the drawstring jacket she usually wore, it's not like he would be changing up his appearance to impress her, either. She wasn't even sure if he even had the same attraction that she had towards him. But nonetheless, the urge to conform overridden the urge to stay comfortable and she found herself at her sticker-covered closet rummaging past her jeans, shirts, and jackets to the back of the closet where a single little black dress rested.

After picking the outfit out of the closet and heading to the bathroom to strip out of her bedwear and into the party outfit, she almost choked at the way her body appeared in the dress. It was tight around her frame and landed at her mid-thigh, the spaghetti straps travelled towards her exposed collarbones giving view of the top of her chest that had been pushed up due to how tight the dress was ━ she looked entirely different, she immediately felt too exposed, and as she revealed the dress to Lily, Lily's eyes bulged out of her head.

"Nellie! You _have_  to wear that, you look amazing!" She exclaimed whilst Nellie squirmed under the attention, but at the same time, she did feel pretty amazing. It really did accentuate her features, and when she combed through her expanse amount of jewelry and wrapped a thin black strap necklace around her throat, she instantly felt complete.

"You know what, I think I will. I feel  _crazy_ hot in this dress."

"Okay, are we ready?"

"As we'll ever be. Let's go."

...

 


	36. chapter twenty seven

**027. IT'S MY PARTY, AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO**  
 **(** chapter twenty seven ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**SATURDAY. 6:45 PM** **

 

 

 

 

 **NELLIE GRIFFIN HAD** never seen a house hold so many people packed to the brim in one space before, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see so many people she avoided in the daytime on the weekend ever again. Even before she entered the house, she could hear the music from down the end of the street ━ it's a miracle one of the neighbours hadn't called the police and got the party shut down. There were flashing lights coming from inside, people were out in the front yard either falling over themselves, or sloppily making out with each other.

To her anxiety ridden brain, she was glad to find the students had already been swept up in the party spirit, enough so that no one seemed to pay any mind to the fact that two total outcasts, such as Nellie and Lily, had crossed the threshold of one of the most popular girls' house. She was thoroughly surprised, expecting a high rise of uproarious laughter and pointing fingers before she even managed to step inside, but instead she found students bouncing in tune to the beat of the music blaring from the speakers nearby while holding red cups with presumably liquor inside. 

She was just glad she had someone by her side and she wasn't walking in by herself.

They walked past the staircase and into the living room where the furniture had been pushed to the sides to accommodate the amount of people dancing together under a blinking strobe light. The house was decorated with colourful streamers and decorations. The hip hop music was so loud it made her skin tingle and her lungs turn to mush.

She wondered if anyone else was feeling the same amount of overwhelming heartache she was feeling. The media tends to condition the people into craving the spotlight, but Nellie wasn't one to party at all ━ mostly preferring to be left alone in her room listening to the music  _she_  liked rather than the music playing through the speakers at Britney's house. While she had been glad to leave the house and distract herself from thinking of Jane, and Redfield, a part of her wished she would have just stayed in bed. She felt out of place like a piece of pepperoni on a vegetarian pizza. She felt like everyone was secretly judging the way she was dressed and were mocking her choice of makeup. Was her hair out of place? Was her eyeliner smudged?

"Hey Lily, Nellie!" A feminine called out from over the noise, and Nellie's eyes followed the source of the sound until it landed on the familiar face of the blonde cheerleader, Stacy, standing off to the side with a frowning Britney. She felt her feet practically moved towards her before her brain processed, just glad to have a familiar face amongst the strangers in the room. "We're so glad you're here, right Brit?"

Stacy harshly nudged the toe of her black heels against Britney's ankle, jolting her into responding as she winced and almost looked physically sick at the sight of them. "Yeah, so... glad."

"Thanks for the invite." Nellie chirped despite Britney's obvious distaste of her presence, and the obvious invite coming from Stacy ━ even if she didn't necessarily want to be standing amongst the swell of Westchester students, there's something amusing about ticking Britney off in her own house, showing up to the party she didn't even want to throw. It was pay pack for all the years of bullying, and terrorizing she had performed on practically most of the student body who don't match her status quo. "I've actually been kind of looking forward to this."

"I sooooooo don't care." She drawled, and Nellie could almost laugh. There she was, there's the Britney she knew, not the one who faked pleasantries. She rolled her brown eyes viciously at Nellie until they landed on Lily's smaller form beside her, and almost immediately, she perked up, and her eyes brightened. "Hey, Lil. Remember that horrible vase my mom used to have? You  _have_ to see this new travesty that she bought."

"S━sure. It can't be uglier than the last one, can it?" Lily replied, earning a giggle from Britney, and soon she being whisked away when the popular cheerleader took Lily by the wrist and led her towards the kitchen. Nellie had to remain vigilant about Britney's true intentions with Lily, but from what she had confessed at her house about their past together, their first kiss, and their friendship, Britney's kindness could be genuine ━ but why the sudden change of heart? It was quite suspicious.

"I'm guessing I have you to thank for the invite..." Nellie mused as she fell back into the conversation with Stacy.

"You guess correctly! Are you going to? ...Thank me?"

"I might. Once I figure out if this party's fun or not." Nellie quippied, smiling softly at Stacy. Though the party still roared behind her and she had to raise her voice for her to be heard, she paid no mind.

"Even if it's a total bust, at least  _you're killing it_ in that outfit." She crooned with a smirk detailing her features ━ Nellie could almost flush under her grey eyes. She felt kind of... weird in her dress now that she was aware she was standing in a room with multiple students whose eyes could track her like a hawk and have some type of opinion on what she was wearing, but hearing a compliment was what she needed to ease it a little.

When she looked out across the crowd to spot another familiar face she could talk to, she found herself searching for one face in particular ━ he was the whole reason she came dressed up in the first place, not that it was his fault. She felt a wave of disappointment crash over her at the thought that he hadn't made it to the party. Like her, he wasn't a fan of parties, and like her, he never felt comfortable in a crowded place. Guilt and regret began to gnaw at her insides. Now she felt terrible for even pressuring for him to come. What if he hated her now?

In an attempt to find a distraction for her growing unease, she spotted the familiar blonde mop of hair of Connor Green chatting with some guys near a corner of the room. She's surprised he showed up to Britney's party ━ or rather, she's surprised Stacy invited her own brother to her party ━ from how people react to their siblings attempting to speak to them in the halls at school, it's a wonder Stacy didn't cringe at the sight of him. "Oh, hey. Your brothers here." Nellie stated aloud, and Stacy glanced towards where she was motioning to and pursed her lips.

"Yup. I invited him, but he's barely said hi to  _anyone_. Those are some of his friends from high school." She explained, and as if Connor could sense the two sets of eyes staring at him, he glanced up and smiled when he spotted Nellie and sent her a little wave in greeting to which she waved back with a little smile playing on her lips. "I forgot you guys kind of know each other. From when we were kids, I mean."

"Actually... we've spent a little time together recently." Now that she's said that, Nellie hoped Stacy wasn't getting the wrong impression.

"You guys have been hanging out? Are you, like, dating?" There it was. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth had dropped like a penny in a pond. Nellie could almost laugh if she wasn't so flustered.

"Not that I know of... besides, wouldn't it be weird for you if I dated your brother?"

Stacy shrugged loosely, "Not really... it'd only be weird if you and I had, like, dated in the past or something."

"But what if we date in the  _future?"_

"That is another reason it'd be weird. So I guess the moral of the story is, if you want to date me... don't date my brother?"

"I think I can reasonably do that." The silence that fell between the two was comforting and companionable ━ although the comfortable setting was drowned out by the loud conversations of jocks boasting about their next  _'win'_ , as well as the music that continued to pump through the speakers. It was short lived, before Nellie decided to speak up, knowing that her next sentence was going to shred at the peacefulness. "I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but... how are you holding up?"

To her relief, Stacy practically shrugged her words off like water. "Pretty good considering... you know, everything that's going on. Or at least, I don't feel like I'm going to die at this moment."

"Hey, that's something these days."

Stacy chuckled, but agreed nonetheless. The first week of high school since the summer break had already taken its toll on the group of teenagers. It was a hectic, chaotic string of questions and little-to-no answers whatsoever. It was stress, fear, and heartache, but truthfully, Nellie couldn't say she wasn't enjoying a little bit of normalcy since the whole Redfield reammergence on Monday. Even if partying in Britney's house wasn't a normal occurrence. "Oh! Some of my cheer friends just walked in. Do you mind if I...?" Stacy trailed off.

"Not at all. I'm gonna go say hi to Connor."

With that, Stacy turned away from Nellie with a playful wink and sauntered her way towards the group of cheerleaders decked in their ensemble of dresses and heels, followed by Nellie who squeezed unceremoniously through a clump of teenagers in the living room. As she made her way towards the corner of the room where Connor had planted himself, she found herself watching the way people danced, carelessly. It's quite strange how a little liquid could turn even the most prudest and shy of people into dancing machines without a care in the world. It turned down the volume of their timidness, it nullified their lack of self esteem, and increased their confidence.

Nellie would never admit it, but one of her favorite hobbies was to observe the people around her. She'd sometimes just sit at a cafe in the afternoon and idly watch strangers go about their daily lives and visualise what type of life they had at home, or what stories their lives had made. She'd picture what music they like, or what movie genre they preferred. Because although she hated crowds, she liked just watching them when she felt like a wallflower in a public place.

"Hey, stranger." Nellie spoke with a lighthearted grin as she slinked beside Connor.

"Hey, Nellie. Stacy said you might be coming." He responded, taking a sip out of his cup. His longish blonde locks were pulled back into a bun at the nape of his neck to show off his chiseled prince charming facial structure ━ but the leather jacket still remained in check.

"And here I am. The party has  _officially_ arrived." Nellie humored, dragging her hands downward and gesturing to herself.

" _Finally._  I thought I would die of boredom."

"Looked like you were doing okay a minute ago. Where'd your friends go?"

The gesture of a shrug was as empty as his words. "Wandered off somewhere. They won't have gone far though... there's not a ton of available entertainment in this town."

That couldn't be farther than the truth. Westchester was a humble little town in Oregon, but it wasn't exactly a tourist attraction, unless they happened to find the tall clumps of trees in a forest that practically blocked the outside world from seeing them on the map, the historical monument of a simple small cafe shop owned by a little old lady, and the labyrinth of roads and paths threading throughout the architecturally divergent buildings dancing between modern and old england and victorian style, fascinating. There was a pizza shop, a big school, a hardware store, and an old dusty library. It seemed as though the mayor of this town preferred to shovel his money into the high school gym rather than the library, though.

"You look good by the way..." Connor piped off, cutting across her own cynical thoughts, thankfully. She could already feel a tangent urging its way passed her painted lips and out into the open for him to hear, and possibly find himself turned off by.

She turned to him with a bright smile and dipped her head in slight embarrassment. It's not everyday people compliment her on the way she dressed ━ what, with her usual ensemble of an army green jacket, and a pair of ripped jeans, now compared to a little black dress. It was a giant leap from what she was used to wearing, as well as being complimented in. "Thanks, Connor. You're a gem. But what are you saying? You saying my usual clothes aren't good enough?" She raised a brow, hands on her hips and leaned forward with a teasing glint in her serious blue eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that! You always look nice." He quickly retracted his words, and stumbled through his next which earned a heartfelt laugh from Nellie as she shook her head. "That outfit just happens to look _especially_ nice." She hummed appreciatively and swirled around, causing the dress to sway at her knees. "It's just... you were such a happy kid. It seems like every time I've seen you lately you seem... worried."

Well it wasn't like there was a ghostly entity that continued to lurk within the woods of Westchester or anything. And it wasn't like there were two students and a teacher stuck in a coma from strange animal attacks or anything. She had a right to be worried, and on edge. Not that he would ever know. "I'm totally fine!" She lied, "Things have been a little crazy lately, but nothing I can't handle."

He nodded along to her words. He seemed to buy her words which surprised Nellie ━ she wasn't exactly a professional at hiding her emotions. Or maybe he noticed but didn't want to press down on the wound. "Well, I don't want to keep you from your friends, so I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

"Sure, I'll catch up with you in a bit." As soon as he waved at her, he was already disappearing in the cluster of teenagers and heading towards the glass sliding door that lead to the backyard of Britney's home ━ and Nellie busied herself by making her way into the kitchen plucking a few pieces of cabanossi and cheese from the island counter in the middle of the room where a whole selection of finger foods rested.

There was everything she could think of that'd be at a party. Huge platters of savoury fruits and nuts, next to crackers and an array of dips and sauces. Salt and vinegar chips, chocolate pieces, and of course, a bowl of alcoholic punch with plastic cups and a large punch bowl spoon to dig it out and pool it into the cup ━ however, Nellie wasn't going to risk taking even a sip from the beverage. Who knew what type of creep had possibly tampered with it. She's almost tempted to pour the liquid into the sink just to be sure that no other person was potentially drugged but before she could go through with her plan, the voice of Lily pulled her out of her mission.

"Nellie! Over here!"

Spinning around as if she had been caught stealing, rather than just having a few pieces of cabanossi and crackers in her nimble fingers, and a small block of cheese in her mouth, she found both Britney and Lily leaning against one of the corners of the kitchen and chatting amongst themselves. In their hands were cups of presumably the alcohol from the punch bowl and worry flashed across her mind at the notion of it being drugged.

"Do you know what you're wearing to homecoming? I was thinking of getting a long dress, but Brit says I should go knee length." Lily continued as Nellie made her way over.

"I was  _trying_ to tell Lil what great calves she has. She should totally show them off." Britney added with an almost too friendly grin ━ or was that Nellie's paranoia and protection of Lily speaking?

"What do you think?" Lily asked, peering up at Nellie under her curls with a warm grin splitting across her features.

The spiteful part of Nellie wanted to say the opposite of Britney just to annoy the popular girl, but truly, she wanted this night to be something of which they would all forget their social stances in high school and just enjoyed each others company as a collective whole. "I think it really doesn't matter. It's _homecoming_ , not prom or something. I think as long as you don't wear jeans or whatever you'll be fine."

"Wow,  _genius_ answer." Britney scowled at her, face contorted in annoyance as she rolled her eyes. Ignoring her previous thought process about wanting to just enjoy people as people, Nellie could already feel her own dose of frustration with the popular girl.

"What, I can't have an opinion on something that you don't agree with? Is that a crime?" Nellie barked, crossing her arms over her chest, before turning to Lily with earnest. "Just wear whatever feels most comfortable for you, Lily. And screw what anybody else thinks."

Lily smiled brightly at Nellie's comment, even though it was doused in hypocrisy considering Nellie's own issues with the dress she decided on wearing to the party, but she didn't say anything further. "I guess you're technically right... but it's still fun to think about."

Britney rolled her eyes at Nellie as they both had a stare down ━ something akin to a mexican standoff, and Nellie could practically hear the _'Good and the Bad and the Ugly'_  theme in her head. "Besides, you're going to look great in whatever you decide to wear." Britney commented, they grinned widely at each other like giddy children, as the popular girl gently nudged Lily's elbow and then wrapped her slender arm over her broad shoulders.

"Do you know who you're going with, Nellie?" Lily asked ━  _to the homecoming._

"Uh, no... not yet." She had an idea, if that wasn't obvious enough, and she's sure Lily knew exactly what image of a person popped up in her mind immediately. Lily had questioned her on Tuesday afternoon before the crow attack against Jocelyn and Cody ━ she had commented on the way she and Noah looked at each other when no one else seemed to notice, she had commented on Ava catching them holding hands in the hardware store. Nellie had noticed, in fact she noticed each time Noah was frightened, she was the first person he reached out to. He was the first thought in her mind, and he was the last. It was such a strange feeling. It wasn't a crush, she wasn't infatuated with him. He was cute, sure, and he made her heart race ━ but it wasn't like she _actually_  liked him. She just wanted him safe, that's all.

Lily cocked an eyebrow up, not believing a single word that stumbled out of her lips. But didn't press anything further. "Better hurry up, or all the good ones'll be gone... and by 'good ones', I mean the three losers in the world who might  _actually_  date you." Britney said, voice laced with scorn, "But I don't have to worry about that... Lily, you'll go with me, right?"

Nellie's eyes narrowed at Britney, and she didn't notice the way Lily glanced in her direction as if sensing her irritability going up in flames, reaching skyward into a boiling point. But when she heard Lily's excited squeal, she knew she couldn't say anything to deter her from hanging around Britney. Just because she was a sweetheart as a kid, didn't mean you could save her now that she was a terrible person. "O━of course! I would love to be your date."

" _Yes!_  Phew, I was so nervous about that. I'll be right back, I gotta go tell Joss." Britney chirped and leaned down to press a quick peck against Lily's lips before she breezed past Nellie without another word.

"Ohmygod! Can this night  _get_  any better?" Lily gushed like a love sick puppy. It's heartening to see Lily so happy and excited about something ━ but Nellie wished it wasn't about Britney. Her immediately going to confide to Jocelyn about Lily's acceptance of her homecoming invitation just screamed suspicions at Nellie.

"It would be better if you danced with me!" Nellie suggested, cutting across her paranoia.

"W━what? I don't..." She stammered, but Nellie wasn't having none of that.

"Oh yes you do. Come on." Reaching out her hand, she gently grabbed Lily by the wrist and pulled her towards the secluded dance floor in the centre of the living room where a few people were swaying to the music.

"But Britney━"

 _"Britney Schmitney."_  Nellie drawled with her tongue sticking out, playfully motioning to shoving her fingers down to her throat to throw up. "She will be there after we've, as my parents would say, 'busted a move'." Nellie immediately burst out into an excited yell as the first notes of a song she recognised beginning to turn up around them.  _Friday I'm In Love by the Cure_. How appropriate, giving their love life situation ━ except, it wasn't a friday, and Nellie  _wasn't_  in love.

It wasn't really dancing Nellie was doing, she never took a dance class in her whole life, instead she would find herself bouncing around in her bedroom at midnight to the music emitting from her old stereo.. She wasn't elegant or pretty as she shook her hair, and twirled around, and jumped and pumped her hands in the air as she flowed with the music as if she were a puppet on strings. The good vibes flowed like a virus within her body, but she felt immense freedom with Lily by her side who began to follow her movements ━ gradually shifting from timid and uncomfortable, to a giggling, mess of tangled limbs as she bounced and swirled to the music. By the next song, they were both delirious with laughter and dizzy from headbanging and spinning under the ceiling light.

"This is so fun! I wish I could feel like this every day..." Lily piped up as Nellie grabbed her hand and swirled her around like a ballroom dancer. "People at school always have something to say about what I do or wear... it's hard just being  _myself_ sometimes."

"Lily, screw those people. If they have nothing better to do with their lives than just raining on people's parades, than that's their problem. Don't lose sleep thinking of them. Seriously, the only reason they're talking about  _you_ is because they don't want the attention to come back to them. Besides, we graduate this year and I don't think a guy like Cody is gonna make it in the real world."

"I guess you're right. I should put the  _me_  out there that I want everyone to see."

"Exactly.  _Let loose!_ " God, she felt like a youth worker, or a preacher ━ Connor would be proud.

Lily threw her arms over her head and whooped loudly, earning several other people nearby to cry out in return and more of them seemed to join the two girls on the makeshift dance floor. And she glanced at Nellie, flushed, tired, but beaming brightly like a lighthouse in a storm. "Oh my goodness. That was... that was..."

"That was liberating, darling!" Nellie cheered, leaning down to grab Lily's squishy cheeks and plant two sloppy kisses on each one. She's laughing hysterically, and nodding in agreement to her comment as the music changed once more into a recognisable song that had both of their heads darting towards each other with a look.

"Do you remember the dance we used to do to this?" Lily questioned as the first guitar notes of  _Somebody Told Me by The Killers_ began to blast through the speakers.

"Oh yeah." Nellie grinned, the memory of their childhood beginning to surface ━ a scene of their younger selves dividing themselves into teams as they practiced some moves for a dance battle with the opposite team. She couldn't believe she still remembered the dance moves off by heart.

"Do you want to━"

"Hell yes." Nellie barked, and immediately began to back a few stragglers away from the dance floor to give the two girls some space, as to not hit them accidentally during their dancing.

"Okay, remember, it's step, step, slide to the right, spin, two claps, booty shake, grapevine, Charlie's Angels pose!" She instructed, counting off her fingers as she did so.

As the chorus started, the two bounced into action, and Nellie followed Lily's movements as she lead the moves. Nellie almost forgot every single step, but she watched her feet as she danced, and ignored the few eyes that turned to watch. She slid to the right, and the people watching clapped along as she spinned, and did two quick claps before they both jumped and turned to face each other, shaking their butts to the beat. Finally, they reached the grapevine, and Nellie watched as Lily was in her element, before they both finished with the grand finale ━ they go back to back, and held their hands up like guns in their Charlie's Angels pose.

The drunk onlookers cheered at the two girls as they dissolved into breathless laughter breathlessly, which soon turned into a bow. "That was even better when we were kids! We definitely still got it, Nellie!"

"Hey, I was just copying you. You're the real dancer here."

"I forgot how much  _fun_  you are to be around." Lily commented as she grabbed a hold of Nellie's hands, and looked directly into her icy hues with earnest. "Promise we won't stop talking again like we... like we did before."

"Never." Nellie grinned, before Lily pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly.

Their hug was short lived as Britney rounded the corner like a hound in pursuit, "Lily! I didn't know you could dance like that! You've got to teach me!" She sent an envious glare in Nellie's direction earning a scoff from the girl in response, before Lily's being swept away from her like a child. Nellie could only smile to herself, despite the obvious distaste, but the fact that Britney was jealous of her ━ she would have never thought in a million years would Britney be jealous of her. Rolling her eyes, she picked her way through the crowd of students attempting to copy the moves she and Lily had just did.

The cool night air brushed lightly against her exposed skin as she made her way into the backyard. It was refreshing to be out of the house ━ less people, and less stuffy. There were a few stragglers out there, laying on the ground either passed out by the alcohol or with their partners.

She spotted Andy surrounded by people from multiple sports teams, including the familiar figure of Jocelyn Wu who was drifting around the teams like a bad smell. She circled Andy Kang like a hungry lioness, and he was a baby gazelle, asking questions and wondering what he was doing after the next game, to which he swiftly rejected her advances, and his best friend, Tom, who backed him up on the claim that he was allergic to brownies. The only reason she'd be sweet-talking him was because he was the new face of the team, and seemingly everyone was talking about him ━ and Jocelyn was trying to get that attention.

"Kinda like looking into the twilight zone isn't it?" A voice casually said, and when she whirled around to search for the face connected to the voice, she found herself relieved when she found Noah behind her, sitting on the cobblestoned edge of Britney's swimming pool, his legs were crossed, and he's carelessly tossing potato chips into the water. He didn't even look up from his handy work, and just continued to toss them in, one-by-one.

There wasn't much to illuminate the area they were in ━ except for the backyard lights on the back porch, and the pool lights casting Noah's pale features in a blue glow. The moon above served as a guardian over them, glinting off the surface of the pool where the chips he had thrown gently ripple the water as they floated and turned soft.

She's somewhat shocked to find him there, not entirely expecting him to actually show up. When she asked him, he seemed hesitant, but she was glad he was there. "Oh hey, Noah. Didn't see you there."

"Just one of my many skills." He quipped, but there's no smile or gentle playfulness on his features. His eyes were still focused on the water as if he could see the galaxy in ripples. Without another word, he's sitting up from his spot on the edge of the pool, and trudging his way over to a nearby outdoor lounge chair to get comfortable on. There's no suggestion, and there's no invitation, but the implication was clear that he wanted her to follow, and so she did. She sat across from him on the other chair, and laid down on her back so that her gaze was skyward, and she could see the scars speckled across the black abyss.

"So are you having fun?" Nellie asked quietly, as if to not disturb the peace between them.

He looked up at her and the corner of his lips twitched, "Surprisingly... yeah. Kind of. Things could be better, but it beats being at home, I guess."

Nellie hummed thoughtfully and sat up on the seat, "Come on, the night is still young. And I know  _just_  the way to up your spirits."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Wanna walk around a bit?"

Noah broke out into a wide grin and snorted before standing to his feet. " _Please._ I can't listen to Jocelyn's laugh anymore."

"Right? It sounds like a porpoise choking on its own spit." Almost as if on cue, Jocelyn's forced cackle cut through the companionable silence between the two, making the two grin and chuckle at each other. "Step one is to get away from all of _that._ "

Noah's laughing at her comment as the rest of the party faded out behind them the further they walked around the cobblestone lining Britney's pool ━ the gentle lapping of the pool calmed her nerves only some. Nellie felt the urge to reach down her throat and rip her heart from her chest to keep herself quiet ━ god, from the moment she had seen him tossing chips into the water, her heart had been trying to crawl its way out of her chest. "You look cold. Must not be used being all dolled up like that."

Her hands were shaking as they grabbed each of her arm, from the cold or from his presence, she wasn't exactly sure, but she's shivering ever so slightly, and he noticed nevertheless. She's trying to act normal, but her normal was to shrug as though she didn't care. "Yeah, well, takes guts to step out of my comfort zone around people who treat you like you're the scum under their boot."

"I hear that." He murmured as they edged around the pool to the otherside, and away from the loud music and the loud conversations. Then, he's quickly removing his jacket and without warning, he's draping them over her shoulders, and Nellie wanted to laugh at how cheesy the entire situation was if her heart hadn't been stabbing through her chest.

She quirked an eyebrow and smiled lightly, "Thanks, Noah." The jacket was warm from his body heat, and the scent of his woody cologne and mint chewing gum curled around her in a warm embrace. The jacket was bigger on her, baggy, and she hadn't realised how much shorter she was compared to him until now.

"Don't want you to die from hypothermia or anything." He smirked, and she took note of how much lighter he seemed when there wasn't a crowd.

"That would be terrible, wouldn't it?" She said in jest as she wrapped the jacket tighter around herself. "I regret wearing this dress. But I thought I'd dress up for the special occasion considering I'd most likely never go to another one of Britney's notorious parties ever again." She laughed lightly at her own joke and shook her head.

He hummed thoughtfully, "I'd never thought I'd see the day where Nellie Griffin is wearing a dress. Thought I would die before I ever saw that." He's grinning widely at her, and she swore she had never seen the boy as happy as he was in that moment. It was heartening, it was beautiful. "And, you've got my jacket on. Makes you look like a kid wearing big clothes, like we used to."

Nellie chuckled at the memory of them when they were kids ━ how they'd sneak into Noah and Jane's parents bedroom and rummage through their outfits. Nellie would slide on his father's big working shoes, and Noah would wrap his mother's bra over his head like a hat, whereas Jane would decide who wore what better. She wanted to bring up the memory, remind them of the good moments they shared before Redfield, but she didn't want to risk him getting angry at her, or changing the subject. Each time he opened up, there was anger, and resentment, she didn't want that.

She planted herself down on the slightly damp grass, and laid back, lifting her gaze skyward, and she's blinking up at him as he peered down at her incredulously as if she was the strangest person on the earth for laying on the ground. "What? Are you going to sit down are you going to keep staring at me like I grew a second head?"

He scoffed lightly at her comment as though he was about to sound of a playful snide remark but he bit his tongue, frowning despite himself, and he's plopping down beside her until they're shoulder to shoulder, and the sky was greeting them both with a thousand blinking stars.

"So, I gotta ask..." She began, "why'd you decide to come tonight?"

He shrugged lightly as he looked over at her subtly, before an embarrassed grin broke out and he's crinkling his nose, "It's dumb."

"I bet it's not. What if I tell you something dumb?"

"Maybe. Depends on what you got."

As she laid there, twirling her fingers around in the grass, she's running through a multitude of potential replies in her mind like a game show host. She's sure Noah was staring at her expectantly from the corner of her eye ━ but she didn't question it as she pursed her lips in thought. Well, there's plenty of dumb things she wanted to say ━ like, 'I think about running my fingers through your long hair sometimes', or 'you look so cute like this' but instead━ "Okay well, I... got points off my Language Arts homework because I misspelled 'orange'."

His lips quirked up in amusement, but he's not even attempting to suppress a chuckle at her misfortunes, "You mean the most phonetically sound word in the English language?"

"See,  _that_  was dumb." She laughed lightly at Noah's delighted expression, but then it's simmering down when he realised he had to say his own peace. She could see the frustration in his earthy brown eyes, and she scooted closer to the boy and rested her head on his shoulder. She wondered if Noah thought about what happened to them, and why they drifted apart. She wondered if he felt guilt, or resentment towards her. She wondered if she was even able to do this, but he didn't move, nor sound off his rejection.

"I came because... well, being with your friends in a place you hate is still better than being alone, right?"

"I suppose." She sighed, and sat up, and he's sitting up too. He got to his feet, and dusted off the dirt and grass from his dreams and reached his hand out for her grab before he's pulling her to her feet.

He didn't respond, or wait for her to speak, and instead he drifted away from her like a ghost, and headed towards a chrome plated grill nearby and tentatively trailed his finger lightly against the lid ━ as if it would give him something stable to think about other than the affection Nellie was showing him ━ the affection he believed he didn't deserve. There's a peaceful moment of silence between the two, and Nellie's beginning to suspect that she shouldn't feel the need to fill the void of silence with him. Sometimes a quiet moment was what was needed in a situation like this, and he seemed completely interested in the grill as he inspected it further.

But she was relentless as usual. "Please tell me you're going to grill us up something? I would  _not_  turn that down."

There's a sheepish chuckle from him when she slid beside him. "I could. I make a pretty good Philly cheesesteak with hot peppers."

"Pretty good? That sounds  _amazing."_

He turned towards her with a little smile on his lips as he envisioned all the food he'd make, "With a little bit of my special au jus? Bet you won't find a better sandwich." He added, kissing his fingertips like an italian chef.

"I didn't know you were into cooking..."

"You don't actually know much about me anymore." He suddenly snapped at her like a hungry dog, eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a sneer. It was as if he had been blinded by rage in just a moment's notice with no regard for those around him, and Nellie's face fell quicker than vomit and her heart sank at his change of tone.

There's an uncomfortable pause in the area, as if all volume of the world had been turned down, leaving only Nellie's pounding heart. But his face softened when he caught sight of her widened eyes and mouth slightly ajar as if she was about to say something. "Sorry... that was a little harsh." He added, and plopped down in one of the nearby chairs. "My parents were always too busy to make dinner, and Jane and I were getting sick of frozen dinners... the first thing I ever made on the stove was a grilled cheese sandwich for her. She said it tasted like happiness."

He's smiling fondly at the memory as the words spilled from his mouth. Digging up the skeletons of his past was something that was hard for him, and Nellie found herself smiling with him as he continued. But as soon as his mouth twitched into a smile, it had disappeared. "Anyway, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Don't worry about it, Noah. I can handle it." She smiled at him, and took a seat on the chair opposite of him. "If I'd known you were struggling I would have reached out. But the easiest thing was to avoid all confrontation with all of you. It was stupid and unhealthy for us to sever all ties between us, but what's done was done. At least we are here for each other now." She explained, and gently laced her fingers with his with a reassuring squeeze to which he returned. "Besides, I'm still thinking about that cheesesteak."

He cracked a small smile at her, that quickly turned wistful as all the tension left his body. "I would love to open my own diner one day. Sandwiches, burgers, fresh fries, onion rings, fried potato salad..."

"Wait, tell me more about this potato salad..."

"Oh yeah, I've got a great recipe for that... I'd have my own diner, and I'd call it 'Baby Jane's'." He's grinning widely now, as he continued the brochure of his dream job ━ a dream that had never left the pages of a journal, and now it was leaving his mouth towards the one person he could trust. His words become exaggerated, like a tour guide explaining the history of a town.

"That's a really good name." She smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his hand once more.

"It would be. But it's never gonna happen."

"Why not? It sounds like you've got some pretty genius ideas already."

"Lots of ideas. No money. I'll be lucky to go to Westchester Community College. What chance do I have of going to an  _actual_ culinary school? And then there's business school, marketing classes... it's just not... possible."

"Ahh, the blissful knowledge of knowing you won't go anywhere in life unless you already have money in your pocket. You need money to educate yourself, and you need education for money. What a world we live in." Nellie added, rolling her eyes at how shitty the economy was. But shrugged it off, "Noah, you've got time to figure everything out! We haven't even graduated yet!"

"That doesn't change the facts. My family has, like, no money."

"That just makes you a better candidate for financial aid! You're looking at this entirely the wrong way."

"I don't know..." He trailed off, unsurety lining his movements as he scratched at the nape of his neck.

"Try this. Say, 'I'm going to culinary school.'."

There's a dusty rose blush shading his cheeks as he looked at her as if she was crazy. But he couldn't deny how inspiring and supportive she was for him as she nodded for him to continue. In a quick haze to get it over with, his words came out in a rushed whisper. " _I'm goingtocunryscho..._ "

Nellie bursted out laughing at his attempt and shook her head, "Sorry, what was that?"

To her delight, Noah rolled his eyes despite the smile slowly growing on his lips. "I'm going to culinary school."

But to his shock and horror, the teenager in front of him cupped her small hands over her mouth and turned to yell out to the people on the other side of the people. "Did you hear that?" She shouted, "Noah's going to culinary school after graduation!"

A few whoops and hollers came from the random strangers lining the backyard as they congratulated a total stranger on his own accomplishments. But Noah was grinning from ear to ear at the support, and Nellie's eyes were alight with excitement knowing she had been the cause of his smiles.

"See? Now you have to."

"You're a weird kid, you know that?" Noah quipped, "... Thanks."

She laughed with a wide grin plastered on her face and shook her head, "One of my greatest specialties." She stuck out her tongue playfully and stood up from the seat, "Now, what do you say we go back to the party? See if Britney has any hot dogs?"

He's still smiling at her as if she was made of fine gold, but he shook his head, allowing the curls of his brown hair to shake along with him, just as the music from inside the house began to flare up.

Her face practically lit up as she recognised yet another song from the speakers of Britney's home, leaving her to wonder if she and her had the same music taste, or was this Stacy's doing? Nevertheless, she's enthusiastically stuck her hand out for him to take, making grabby hands at him, " _Oh, kiss me. Lick your cigarette, then kiss me..._ " She sang out to the music of  _No You Girls Never Know by Franz Ferdinand._  "Come on, come dance with me!"

He can't help but grin as she bobbed to the music and singing along to the music, but he shook his head. "You go ahead. I like how quiet it is over here."

"Are you sure? It's fun!" Then she's cutting herself off with her own humming of the song to which he playfully waved her away with a laugh. She's shaking out her hair, brunette tresses falling like a wave over her petite shoulders and she's wiggling her arms around, clicking her fingers to the beat like a dad at a barbeque.

"You look great! I'll only slow you down." He laughed, earning a scoff and a roll of her eyes.

"You could never slow me down, Noah." She rolled off the jacket she had nearly forgot she had on, and dropped it on his lap, before leaning down and ruffled his hair before she's bouncing towards Andy, missing the way Noah's cheeks flared up as he marvelled at just how strange she was.

"There you are! I was wondering when you'd come say hi!" Andy called out over the music, "You look  _really_  good tonight, by the way." Nellie was too elated with the music that she didn't really respond to his compliment like she did with Connor and Stacy. She was delirious with complete happiness that she only just wickedly grinned at him.

"I was going to come say hi, but I thought I'd let your adoring basketball fans get to you first."

The boy glanced back towards the group that he had just migrated away from him and shrugged, "Call it fifteen minutes of fame. I'm sure everyone will go back to crapping on me as soon as Ben's starting again."

"That's the spirit." She grinned playfully at him. "Although, you should enjoy it. Bask in the whole feeling of being apart of the in-crowd, even just for a little while. It must be nice!"

"Yeah, it's pretty nice not having to worry about being shoved in a locker or have gum thrown at you." He's grinning at her cheerily, but it began to faltered a bit as his eyes landed on the familiar figure of Tom, standing awkwardly at the edge of the party, seemingly taking position of a wallflower. "I wish I could rub some of this feeling off on Tom. So he could enjoy it with me, you know?"

"I'm sure he's happy for  _you_. Maybe that's good enough for him."

"Man, if he could feel as great as I feel right now the two of us would be  _unstoppable_."

Nellie laughed lightly at his comment, "I don't think the world's ready for that, Andy." She said in jest, "You're a good friend. I'm glad I've got you in my corner." Soon, Tom's looking up from his position and calling Andy over ━ causing Andy eyes to dart back and forth between Nellie and Tom as if attempting to figure out which one he should reject, but Nellie merely smiled at him and shook her head. "Go ahead, your adoring public awaits."

He nodded, smiling lightly at her before he's bounding away towards Tom.

...

 


	37. chapter twenty eight

**028. THRILLED TO DEATH**  
 **(** chapter twenty eight ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**SATURDAY. 8:38 PM** **

****warning:**** death, non consensual kiss, and some cursing

 

 

 

 **THERE'S AN EXPLOSION** in Nellie's mind ━ the type that carried more possibilities than anything she could ever be conscious of. Having being the one to ensure Noah was at least having a good time, and wasn't all alone at the party he wasn't all that comfortable with, as well as celebrate his dream to go to Culinary School ━ she was happy, hopeful even. But with the reminder of the future, Nellie was left unsure what she was planning to do once she graduated, and truthfully, she hadn't given it much thought.

There was college, but she wasn't sure what she was interested in studying, or if she even had the right grades, or the money to afford it. There was working at a crap job just to make ends meet for the rest of her life, like her parents, but she definitely didn't want to work somewhere she hated ━ she could runaway, maybe join a circus, maybe travel the world in a hippy van, make babies, and get married to a rich man ━ there were too many possibilities, but none of which peaked her interest. But hearing Noah talk so highly of 'Baby Janes' really inspired her, maybe she could work as a waitress there.

The stuffy air of Britney's picture-perfect house washed over Nellie's skin as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the backyard door. Despite the open windows breathing in the night air, it was far too warm. The humidity clung to her clothes like a second skin as the pleasant coolness of the outside world transitioned into sudden dryness. There were too many people congested in one place, too many people breathing the same air, too many people's body heat mingling with each other.

Even when Britney's air conditioner blasted with cold air, still it didn't do much to chill the room. The music had been turned down to a suitable volume, and it wasn't nearly as deafening as it had been when she first arrived at the party with Lily, leaving her to wonder why it was suddenly quiet. A part of her wondered if the police had showed up with a complaint that the music was disturbing the neighbors peace, or perhaps, Britney's parents came home unannounced leaving the teenagers to scurry away and hide like nasty insects escaping death from a can of spray.

Nellie's body jolted without her realisation at the sudden sound of applause spreading around the room. Frowning, her eyes darted towards the sound to find a group of teenagers congregating around something in the living room. Their bodies were so tightly pressed against each other, from shoulder-to-shoulder, that it was nearly impossible to see what was going on inside. That must explain why the air was so muggy all of a sudden.

She searched for a familiar face within the stragglers that hung off to the side to question what they were so amazed about ━ when she spotted Connor, lazily leaning against one of the walls with a beer bottle pressed to his lips. "What's going on over here?" She asked as she made her way over.

Peering down at Nellie's shorter form, his eyebrows quirked, "Ava's putting on a pretty good show. It makes total sense she'd be into magic tricks." Connor said in jest but his eyes still travelled across the room to where Ava was. Nellie's eyes followed after her to where a slither of a gap could be seen between the bodies of students.

There, she spotted Ava grabbing a chair and using it as leverage to pluck a large black spider from high up on the wall causing her captive audience to lean in closer. For a moment there, Nellie wanted to throw up at the sight of the spider scrambling around in her palm only for it to slowly levitate into the air and then launch itself towards the crowd that immediately erupted in peals of hysterical screams. Nellie was just glad she wasn't amongst the crowd. "What?  _Scared?_  It's not even  _touching_ you!" Ava barked, defending herself while a bunch of girls bolted out of the house. But true to her word, the spider was only just hovering in mid-air, just an inch from one guys face that she's sure he could see every hair, and every eye on that critter.

"Whoa, are you seeing this, Nellie?" He nudged her side breaking Nellie out of whatever spell she had been brought in ━ it was easy to be amazed at such an act, but she couldn't help but be annoyed by it.

While the 'trick' was quite an act, Ava was using Redfield's  _gift_  as a means to execute it. Something of which Nellie was not comfortable with. It was like she was taking advantage of it, when in reality, it's safer to not use it at all unless in dire situations. Who knew who would react to her abilities in kind ━ there were already rumours and insults being thrown around about Ava being a witch. And, Nellie wasn't exactly over the moon about them playing around with the enemies gifts.

"Yeah, I see it. I bet there's a string. Oldest trick in the book." She lied, grinning at Connor as the misleading flowed through her teeth easily. It wasn't like anyone was going to believe she had some kind of power anyways, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She cared for Ava, and she worried for her safety if people began to genuinely speculate that she was a witch ━ Westchester hasn't exactly had the nicest history when it came to the Witch Trials back in the 1800s, and she's sure the same mentality they had back them when they hung those women, hadn't changed overtime.

"Yeah, duh, you're probably right. I was a little freaked out for a second there." Connor chuckled lightly to himself as he tilted his head back and took a long swig, followed by Nellie's own nervous laughter as she inwardly cringed at herself.

Ava waved her hand mistically and the spider flew back to her as if it was connected to her by a string, and rested right in the middle of her palm making the audience surrounding her break out into an applause. "Yeah, yeah, I'm incredible. Now scatter, I gotta get me some punch."

As the crowd dispersed, finding interest in other things and the music began to play again, Nellie rushed towards the gothic teenager with quick strides of her legs and gently pulled her into a more secluded corner of the kitchen. "Are you nuts?" She hissed.

"Are  _you_  nuts? Leaving the house looking that good? You're gonna cause car accidents." Ava countered as she gave Nellie a once over. Her face was a mural of impression, and slight intoxication. Her smile was lazy, her eyes were lidded, her breath smelled of vodka cruisers, and her warm cheeks were alight with redness.

Nellie laughed and shook her head with a playful roll of her eyes. "First of all, thanks. Second of all, I was _talking_  about the witchy stuff!"

"Oh  _relax._  Everyone thinks it was all fake anyway."

"After what happened on Thursday, are you sure you should be just throwing your powers around like that?"

Ava scoffed and slid past Nellie to the counter that held the punch, "You mean when I totally saved our butts from that weird vortex?" She shook her head with a grin as she poured some of the mixture into a random cup that was lying around.

"You got lucky. We have no idea what'll happen next time!" Nellie retorted only to realise Ava wasn't hearing a thing that came from her lips, far too distracted with drinking the beverage, until she eventually grasped the red solo cup from Ava's hand and pulled it away from her. Her dark eyes suddenly darted upwards and there's a pout on her lips as she attempted to grab the cup again. "Are you even listening to me?"

Suddenly she's sobering up, and taking a deep breath, "Okay, not my finest moment of control. But I  _did_  kind of save us.  _And_ I've been practicing all day." She beamed proudly, a toothy grin that stretched her black painted lips, "I know Thursday was weird, but that doesn't necessarily mean these powers are  _bad_ , right?"

There's a pregnant pause between the two teenagers as Ava expectantly waited for Nellie to say something, or give back the back, she wasn't sure. A silence that lingered in the air, a balloon that stretched thinner and thinner until the urge to burst came forth. Redfield had tortured them since they were children in the form of nightmares and panic attacks, post-traumatic-stress-disorder and isolation ━ he had killed their best friend right in front of them, and now he's suddenly back into their lives and giving Ava powers, suddenly making Britney nice to Lily, and also putting the lives of Dan, Ben, and Mr. Coopers' lives at risk.

There's something in the woods, there's something that still lingered, and that something was getting closer to getting what he wanted. So, logically, Nellie had every right to be worried.

"You know, you gotta be more careful. I don't mean to be a debbie downer, but we seriously don't know what Mr. Red's true intentions are with these powers, and besides, Stacy's brother was totally catching on for a minute there." She eventually said and passed the cup back to Ava.

"So? I'm a witch. I'd totally shout it from the rooftops if I could."

"Yeah... but this doesn't just affect you..."

With an exaggerated groan, Ava crossed her slender arms over her chest. "Fine, no more magic shows, cross my heart." She tossed back the punch in one gulp and slammed the now empty cup back on the table, before turning back to Nellie. "Hey, do me a favor, would you? I saw Lucas pacing outside by himself, which would be normal for me, but it's all wrong for our class prez. I'd check on him myself, but feelings make me feel icky."

"Yeah, of course..." Nellie mumbled to herself all the while Ava was mystically wiggling her fingers at her and bounding away to terrorise the next set of teenagers she came across.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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When Nellie escaped the stuffy house, subconsciously, her eyes scanned the backyard for the familiar denim jacket and dark blue beanie that she had came to acquaint with Noah, only to realise he had vanished. He was sitting at the edge of the large pool, he wasn't sitting by the grill, and he wasn't on the chairs. She couldn't exactly say she was surprised about it, she knew Noah wasn't a people-person, but she was a little disappointed he hadn't at least came to say goodbye before he left. It was dumb to get so worked up over it, really.

She found Lucas pretty easily, though, now that her mind had shifted away from Noah, and was more focused on the pacing boy. The way his legs moved made him seem like he was in a hurry as he walked around the pools edge. His steps weren't long, but they were rapid, making Nellie a little worried he'd manage to slip on the damp cobblestone and fall into the water. There's a few people in Britney's pool despite the chill air as they tossed around a beach ball to each other and laughed loudly.

Nellie maneuvered her way around the splashing water and fell into step beside the class president who slowed down his pacing relatively for her when he glanced down to find Nellie, but his eyes swam away, only to return back to her as if taking her in for the first time. "Wow, you look great tonight." He complimented.

"I clean up pretty well, hey? Don't expect this on monday, though. I'll be back to my distressed jeans in no time." She said in jest, playfully winking at him as he smiled lightly before turning his gaze towards the rippling pool. "What's up with you?"

"I'm fine, it's just... I threw all those pills away on Thursday, and it's been two days without them... and I'm a little out of it." He replied sincerely as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Good thing we're at a party then! There's so many things to distract you. For example there's... that barfing kid!" She went on to say, and nudging him into the direction of a lanky, and short guy throwing up chunks of his dinner and whatever alcohol he had ingested into presumably, Britney's mothers plants. "You ever seen  _The Exorcist_? The scene where she's vomiting everywhere? Well, check out that arc. Now  _that_ is what you call  _projectile._ "

"Jeez, do you think he's sick?" Lucas responded as his eyes fell on the poor kid now wiping the residue of his stomach on the back of his hand and returning back to the alcohol like nothing happened.

"Oh, I can see a bit of orange dust. I'd say that was doritos he had as well. That, my friend, is a snack overdose."

Lucas snorted and chuckled warmly, "Nellie, that is so disgusting." His words were meant to be chiding, but with a grin on his face that lit up his eyes, she knew he was only joking, if a little bit truthful. "Besides, Chris Starcher's a nice guy. We should let him vomit in peace."

"You really know everyone at this school, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I kind of have to. Comes with the student body prez territory. Know your constituents and all that."

Nellie hummed in response as they continued to slowly walk around the pool's edge, "Maybe that's why it was so weird seeing you out here all alone."

"You might be surprised to learn that alone is a feeling I'm quite used to these days. All of the eerie-goings-on lately, and I can't really talk to anyone about it..."

"Well, you know you can always talk to me if you need to."

Lucas grinned boyishly at her, but ducked his head to hide it, "I may very well take you up on that offer. But for now, I'll settle for getting some refreshments. Care to join?"

"Only you would use the term 'refreshments'," Nellie playfully mocked, "But, yeah, I'll come."

The two teenagers both circed back to the house in companionable silence, Nellie's mind wrapped up in thoughts, whereas Lucas strolled along with a more leisurely pace ━ as if his mind was finally quiet for him. Whilst Lucas disappeared into the throng of students, Nellie found herself leaning against one of the walls and watching the party happen around her. It's always interesting to watch people. She watched as they tossed back drink after drink, she watched them dance to the beat of the music, she spotted Ava chatting to a random stranger, and Stacy flirting with a guy, she watched it all, although there were some things she had to avert her eyes from, that being couples heavily making out.

But it was at that moment she closed her eyes and allowed the intoxicating music to flow through her when she felt something brush against the nape of her neck. Something cold like a draft from an open window, travelling up the length of her back, to tickle against her loose tendrils of hair. Her heart rate pulsed at the familiar sensation, her eyes snapped open, and her jaw dropped ━ as a sharp, cold hand slapped down on her shoulder. With a surprised squeak, she spun around, hands instinctively curled up into fists.

"Ahhh, don't hit me!" Lily bellowed, throwing her arms up in alarm.

A long breath of relief left her lips as she visibly relaxed in Lily's presence, and pressed her hand against her chest as if that could aid in slowing her heart rate. "Jesus, Lily! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry!" She giggled, "Britney's getting some people together to play a party game, and I thought you'd want to join."

"Oh... yeah, sure. Sounds fun." Nellie wondered what Britney's definition of a party game was. Spin the bottle? Seven minutes in heaven? She shuddered at the thought of being locked in a closet with Britney, Cody, or Jocelyn for seven minutes. That was torture in on itself.

Lily laced her fingers with Nellie's as she lead her through the house and towards the basement. A brief intrusive thought flashed across her mind at the sudden inkling that she was going to be murdered in the basement of Britney's house, but as quick as that thought came, it had vanished. When she stepped down the steps into the basement, she was expecting to find a dingy, creepy dark room with low ceilings coated in mould, but instead, it was brightly lit, and decked out with fairy lights, streamers, couches, and a circle of bean bags surrounding a round table where a small group were gathered around.

Nellie's heart fluttered when she saw Noah sitting on a couch. His earthy brown eyes snapped up at the new arrival with the faintest whisper of a smile on his lips when he recognised the person. The briefest of memories came flooding back ━ the memory of the pep rally, when their eyes met for one heart stopping moment, he had no emotion on his face, they were just hard and unmoving, his eyes were lidded with exhaustion, but other than that, they just stared, and she was so incredibly nervous to be around him after all those years of avoiding him, and now, he's smiling at her, and she's smiling at him.

"Lily! Come sit by me!" Britney beckoned and rapidly tapped against the couch she was sitting on, and drawing Nellie's attention away from Noah.

"Obviously!" Lily grinned as she bounded away from Nellie and plopped down beside her. On her own now, Nellie took the empty green bean bag between a wobbly Ava and a drunk Tom, while Stacy sat across from her.

"So, what are we playing?" Stacy asked.

"I hope it's truth or dare." Nellie added.

"Hell yeah, I'm so ready to make you guys do stupid stuff." Ava laughed mischievously, clapping her hands like an excited child, causing Nellie to quirk an eyebrow. She's quite the lively one under the influence.

Britney merely scoffed at their suggestions, "What is this, kindergarten? We're gonna play  _Are You Scared_!"

The name of the game hit Nellie like a blow to the head, as if the words itself was a physical hit against her. Stacy's smile faltered, and suddenly her eyes were distant, Lily went pale, face dropping as if all the muscles in her face had liquified, and beside Nellie, Ava visibly stiffened ━ all playfulness snuffed out of her. Noah's eyes narrowed, and went dark as he clenched his jaw tightly.

"Maybe... maybe we could play something else?" Stacy suggested, her grey eyes darted towards her childhood friends who all shared the same expression of fear and relief that she was speaking up for them.

"But I don't think I know this one! How do you play?" Tom perked up from beside Nellie, and she had to stop herself from screaming at him for influencing Britney more.

Seemingly ignoring Stacy's distressed voice, she continued with the rules, "We choose one person to be the  _Monster_ , and they go around the circle trying to scare people. If you flinch, you're dead."

"But, um, the monster can't touch you. You 'live' if you can tell the monster... 'I'm not scared.'." Lily added, eyes downcasted as she anxiously chewed on her fingernails.

But with Lily's words echoing around Nellie's mind, her breathing was coming out in heavy and rapid gasps as if there's an invisible hand clamping over her mouth, tension was growing in her face and limbs, holding her down, and she's digging her nails into the palm of her hand as she's sent back stumbling into a distant memory clawing itself to the surface to replay it again and again and again ━

There's Jane... and she's screaming loudly into the void, the same three words over and over 'I'M NOT SCARED I'M NOT SCARED I'M NOT SCARED" ━ until she's cut off mid scream with a sickening crack and all went dark.

She's brought out of the moment when Ava roughly shook her shoulders, and she's suddenly there, in the room with the rest of the students as if she had awakened from a nightmare. Her heart rate had slowed to normality, but her eyes were still wide and distant as if she wasn't even really there, but she's shaking her head, dislodging the thoughts from her mind and focusing on the now.

"What? Sorry." She contorted her lips into a forced smile at Ava, but it never quite reached her eyes. Her lips trembled as if it hurt to stretch them but when Ava finally looked away, her smile died on her lips.

"I  _said_ , are we gonna play or what? C'mon, Tom's never played before!" Britney said, patting Tom on the back who nodded vigorously along.

"Yeah! It sounds fun!"

Nellie's fingers gripped the material of the bean bag tightly until they became white with the pressure. She's staring at her dusty boots, eyes glazed over with unshed tears, as she's chewing on the skin of her lips, peeling them off until it bled, and when she peered up from underneath the tendrils of her hair that fell into her eyes, she found all of her childhood friends staring back at her.

Their eyes were alight with concern for her, but more, they were looking for an answer. While a part of her wanted nothing to do with game, another part of her felt like it could be closure. Jane's death was traumatic to them all, the game brang back the memories at full force, but perhaps if they played it again, it might bring them closure.

"You know what... y-yeah. It's... it's just a game." She stuttered out, watery eyes darting between the betrayed expressions on their faces, "Let's do it."

Immediately, Stacy's pretty face contorted into a grotesque form of anger, "Are you actually  _serious_? You guys are just fine with this?" Her grey eyes searched around the circle for any of their faces to show even a glimmer of refusal. Ava met her eyes defiantly as she bit her tongue, but Lily averted her eyes as soon as Stacy turned to her. "No. No way. Do whatever you want, but leave me out of it."

Snatching her purse from the floor, Stacy sharply stood from her bean bag and stomped away without a backward glance, followed by Noah who slowly rose from the couch with arms shaking with rage and distant eyes. As he began to follow after her, he glanced at Nellie and muttered, "Not cool, Nellie."

She clenched her jaw and looked away from him, as she blinked away the tears and knuckled away the wandering ones. Her heart was broken, but she didn't have much time to dwell on it when Britney had snapped her out of her thoughts. "What's  _their_  problem?  _Are You Scared_  is, like, the best game ever."

"Shut up, Britney." Nellie barked, but thankfully not loud enough for her to hear because there was suddenly a loud booming voice directly behind her that caused her to flinch.

"Yeah it is! Dibs on being the monster!"

Nellie sneered to herself when she recognised the voice to be Cody. She spun around, watching as he sauntered down the stairs like he was God himself, " _You_ want to be the monster? You might get an Oscar award for this one then, the role would be an easy one for you."

Upon hearing her voice, Cody scowled down at her like she was a disgusting bug on the bottom of his shoe, "You wanna start something, Nellie?"

To her surprise, Ava's dark eyes narrowed, her expression was fiery and filled with utter disdain for the boy. She got to her feet and gestured towards the her now-empty chair. "I'm the monster this round. Have a seat."

Rolling his eyes, Cody plopped down beside Nellie. He lounged on the bean bag, legs spread a part and taking up more space than he needed, but he could only smirk at Nellie when he purposely bumped their knees together. "Don't fucking touch me." She growled, baring her teeth like a rabid dog and yanking her legs away from him.

In the middle of the circle, Ava was slowly turning around, searching for a suitable victim to scare, when she suddenly lunged herself at Lily and shouted, "ARE YOU SCARED?!"

Lily released a squeal and jumped at the sudden scare, grabbing Britney's arm in the process as her fear dissolved into peals of giggles. Ava grinned in success and moved along to the next victim, Tom.

"Are you scared?" She asked, voice as normal as any other.

Tom laughed, and his following words were filled with his joy and arrogance, "You're not gonna get  _me_  so━" He suddenly jumped as Ava slapped her hands together with a loud  _crack_ , less than an inch from his face.

"Boom, dead." She snickered. Turning, Ava bend her body backwards like a possessed gymnast inches in front of Nellie. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head, showing only the whites of her eyes rather than the irises, and her teeth were bared into a wolfish grin. "Are you scaaaaaaaaared?" She drawled with ghostly voice.

Nellie merely smirked as she stared stoically into Ava's ghoulish face. "I'm not scared." She said, voice plain and monotonous. With her lack of fear, Ava stood back upright and pouted.

"Boo. Way to break my streak, Nellie."

"Sorry, maybe next time round."

Moving on from Nellie, Ava slowed made her way to Cody where she stood over him and stared. She didn't speak, or move, just stared with unblinking eyes. "Are you scared?"

"Sorry, but while I  _do_  kinda want to barf whenever I look at you, I'm not sca━" He suddenly went stiff, eyes snapping wide in horror as a huge cockroach began to crawl up his face and towards his nose to which he started to scream. He jumped up from his seat, and rapidly shook his head, clawed at his face, and slap at his body to get rid of it while everyone else in the circle erupted in howls of laughter.

"Oh my god, Cody, you are  _so_ dead!" Britney laughed, slapping her hands on her thighs as she tried to gather up the air to breath.

"No way! That doesn't count!" Cody shouted, face red with fury ━ Nellie's sure that if this was a cartoon, there'd be steam coming out of his ears.

"Go ahead and leave if you don't like it." Nellie proposed with a loose shrug, and her palms up.

Ignoring her words, Cody sat back down on the bean bag, grumbling to himself, whilst Ava moved onto her next victim. " _Are you scared?_ "  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"ARE YOU SCARED?!" Cody was practically screaming in Ava's face at this point, with spittle flying everywhere, and face a boiling red. She wondered if he was going to burst a blood vessel.

"Yeah, you keep yelling louder every time, but it's just not getting scarier." Ava replied without much emotion as she lifted her hand up to wipe at the spit on her face.

Clearly frustrated with her lack of fear towards his bruised ego, Cody began to circle around the group for the third time like had been doing for the past 10 minutes, but no one seemed to want to give him the boost to his ego, much to Nellie's delight. Cody's skill was placing fear in the student body because of his big size, but when it came down to it, he really only used his screaming to get what he wanted.

From beside her, Tom nudged Nellie's side and deepened his voice into a whisper as he leaned down so only she could hear him, "So... if he doesn't get the rest of us out this round, what happens?"

"We vote on a new monster, and everyone laughs at how lame and un-scary Cody is." Britney happened to hear his words though, and made sure her comment was loud enough for him to hear, unlike how Tom was attempting to keep his voice quiet. But, Nellie assumed considering Britney was top dog in their friend group, that Cody wouldn't dare get angry at her specifically.

Cody scowled at her words, but he kept it away from her when he rounded on Nellie. "Cody... this is just pathetic. I have literally never seen anyone do worse at this game. I don't know if your reputation will survive!" She mocked with a playful grin.

"Shut your face, Nellie." He barked, and leaned in close to her as he braced his hands on the bean bag to either side of her. Instinctively, Nellie wanted to move her head back so that they're faces weren't so close to each other, but in doing that, she'd lose the game, and she wasn't going to back down, not when Cody was on such a good losing streak.

"Hey! Monsters can't touch anyone!" Lily cried out, but Cody merely laughed, not even breaking the eye contact between him and Nellie.

"Cool it, ref, I'm just touching the chair." His voice was lilted with playfulness but the sneer on his face said otherwise. He got even more closer to her face, to the point that Nellie was practically cross-eyed trying to keep eye contact. He moved his lips towards her ears and dropped his voice so low that even she had difficulty hearing. " _You've been real bitchy this past week, Nellie, and I'm getting pretty tired of it. Soon_ ━  _and I'm talking VERY soon_ _━_ _I'm gonna make sure you pay in bruises for every little smart ass remark you've ever made._ " He moved his head back slightly, catching the way Nellie's eyes were focused on the floor, eyes slightly wide, and he's suddenly smirking, the sneer wiped off his face completely. " _Scared yet?_ "

But before she could answer his question, Cody's suddenly moving himself forward, much quicker than she could react, and forcibly smashed his lips against hers. She's frozen in place, eyes snapped wide, but the kiss didn't last long, and she didn't have the moment to calculate what had happened as she's soon finding herself tumbling backwards onto the floor when Cody heaved the chair.

A surprised cry left her lips as she hit her head on the leg of a table behind her, but Cody's merely snickering like he just did the greatest thing in the world, and the rest of the group were barking at him for what he did. "What the hell, man?! That's out of line!" Tom shouted first.

"What? I didn't lay a finger on her."

"You kissed her!" Lily screamed, eyes filled with fury as she getting to her feet and storming her way towards her.

Shakily, Nellie scrambled to her feet, using one hand to press against the back of her head where she had hit, while the other waved her away. "Fuck this game. And fuck you Cody. I hope you die." She sneered, and although Lily tried to hold her back, she couldn't help the fact that her legs were autonomously dragging her towards Cody, and she couldn't help the rage she felt within her. And before she could think of her actions, she's hurtling a tight fist towards his jaw.

Cody visibly stumbled backwards, hands flying up towards his jaw. Whilst Nellie was shaking out the thrumming of pain in her fist. But before Cody could register what had just happened, she's already hurrying her way up the stairs and heading towards the backdoor.

But, of course, she couldn't leave without him wanting to retaliate. A girl just punched him across the jaw and now there's a blooming bruise growing on his skin, it was the greatest insult to an egotistical guy. Spinning around, Cody had followed her with a few others trailing behind him itching to see a fight, while the rest of the people in the backyard watched on.

"Awww, where are you going, Nellie? You gonna throw a punch and not expect one back? Where's the equality in that?"

"If you didn't force yourself on me than there wouldn't be a fucking problem!" She screamed back at him. "Get away from me!"

To her relief, Connor appeared from inside the house, a dangerous look flashing across his face as he stormed his way over and blocked Cody from taking another step closer. He's standing in front of her, a few ways away from Cody, but close enough that he could shove him away if he got any closer. "Sounds like it's time for you to leave." Connor warned.

"Oh come on! Nellie needs a guy to fight her own battles? How typical. I thought you were all about that female empowerment bullshit!"

Connor's about to step forward, jaw clenched and fists curled, but Ava stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Cody's sneer faltered only for a second before it returned at the sight of the familiar gothic girl walking right up to him. "You think you're so tough picking fights with girls, you think that it somehow makes you a man. Women brought you into this world, and by god, we will take you out." She's staring up at him with intense eyes, "You heard blondie, it's time to  _go_."

Cody's suddenly thrown off balance by Ava's powers as he stumbled backwards into the crowd. "Jeez, okay! No need to━" He stumbled again, nearly falling to the ground as he scrambled for the side of the house to where a gate stood.

"Sh━she's doing it again... that freak friend of yours! Cody, get away from her!" Jocelyn cried out, only to follow after Cody when he began to break out into a sprint and vanished out in the front yard where the gate led to.

While the two disappeared, Nellie's friends gathered around her, each sharing a warming smile, while Stacy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" The cheerleader asked.

"Fine. Just... glad he's gone."

"That guy has some serious issues. I swear he has an obsession with you." Stacy added, crossing her arms over her chest. "That asshole has had it out for you since the very beginning."

"Yeah, and you know what? That  _asshole_  kissed me. So yeah, I believe you."

Stacy frowned and sent her a sympathetic look before she's throwing her arms around Nellie and pulling her into a tight hug. "He'll get what's coming to him, don't you worry."

"That was awesome, Ava!" Lily suddenly perked up.

"Yeah, I've never seen a guy literally fall over from fear before." Connor added with an impressed look.

Stacy's eyes widened significantly as the realisation that Connor was catching onto Ava's powers. "Uh, yeah! That's totally what happened. What a klutz."

"Nobody messes with my friends." Ava announced as she cracked her knuckles with a determined look crossing her face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 **━━━** ∘ **◦** 💀🌙 **◦** ∘ **━━━**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Inside the house, things had died down relatively. It was at the point at parties where the music had been turned down, and whatever people were still at the party were just lounging around and talking. Nellie found herself in the kitchen, sipping at a glass of water as she gathered what had happened tonight. There's a pounding in her ears as her pulse continued to race, the adrenaline in her veins not entirely gone yet. Her chest felt tight, and her hands felt sweaty as she thought back to what Cody could have done.

There could have been blood on her face, she could have a broken eye socket if Connor and Ava hadn't showed up in time. Not only that, but Noah was pissed at her, for good reason. She doesn't know how she's supposed to dig herself out of the grave she dug herself for this one. She shouldn't have played with their trauma like that.

She just wanted to go home.

Stacy happened to be the only one at the party sober, so thankfully, she was happy to give Nellie a ride home, even when it was the early hours of the morning, and when they reached the end of her driveway, Nellie was happy to finally be somewhere quiet. It was easier to think that way when there's no music, and there's no people. All that surrounded her as she walked up the driveway was the sound of crickets singing their tunes, and distant croaking of frogs, the cool air was pleasant on her sweaty skin as she thought back on the evening, and the time she shared with her friends.

As she walked up the footpath that led to her house through the backyard, something in the air made her stop. There was a sudden chill that ran down her spine like something was watching her. There was sweat beading on her brows, and her throat felt clogged and hard to swallow like the pain you get when you're about to cry. She spun around in a slow circle in search for the creature, or thing that had sent her senses into overdrive ━ but it wasn't a sound... or a smell... just a feeling. A feeling that something was wrong. Just to be sure, she did another rotation, and still found nothing out of the ordinary.

Still on edge, Nellie sprinted towards her backyard door, swung it open and slammed it shut before locking it. The entire house was coated in darkness, and Nellie made sure to switch on every light in the house, just to be sure, and just to ease her nerves. Not missing a beat, she grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be an empty flower vase, and searched around the house for anything strange, but she found nothing. She took the stairs, two at a time, and as soon as she found her room, she instantly felt more safe.

Whatever strange sensation she had that washed over her, after looking around the house and finding nothing, she felt better. She kicked off her boots and left them where they laid, and threw off the dress to tug on some sweatpants and a random T-shirt, reminding herself to clean them tomorrow, before finally she clicked off her light switch, but before she could crawl into bed, that... feeling came back ━ but only worse. Like something was in the room with her.

Her breathing was shaky, her heart raced, and when she bit the bullet and reached her trembling hand for the lamp switch on her bedside table, something outside her bedroom window caught her eye. "What is that?" She asked herself, and leaned in closer to the window so that her face was flushed against the cool glass. As the clouds parted, a shaft of midnight beamed at the dead tree outside her window and now she could see it clearly.

A terror filled scream tore through her vocal cords. An image no one should see, an image that will forever scar her. Cody's dead body mounted high in the tree, impaled through a thick branch with dark crimson blood pooling from the wound on his stomach, staining his white shirt as he dangled lifelessly.

**...**

 


	38. act eight

 

 

 

 

 

the blood  
is  
 _f l o w i n g_

 

 

 

 

 **ACT 8.**  ❛ BREAKDOWN. ❜

**'DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?'**

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

//

chapter twenty nine ──  **029\. MYSTERY ACCIDENT CAUSES TEEN FATALITY**  
chapter thirty ──  **030\. 'IT'S THE WITCH'S FAULT'**  
chapter thirty one ──  **031\. COFFEE AND DEMONS**  
chapter thirty two ── **032**.  **INTO THE WOLVES DEN SHE WENT**

//


	39. chapter twenty nine

**029. MYSTERY ACCIDENT CAUSES TEEN FATALITY**  
 **(** chapter twenty nine ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**MONDAY. 8:52 AM**   
**

 

 

 

 

 **MONDAY MORNING CAME**  quicker than Nellie wanted. As much as the urge to stay in bed until she melted into the mattress was immensely pleasing, she didn't exactly want to be stuck alone in that empty house with the memory of Cody's corpse hanging from the tree outside to rear its ugly head. It was one thing to not being able to forget the death of your friend over a decade ago, but it was another to see it again with fresh eyes, granted Cody wasn't her friend, but the sentiment was the same.

She felt so hollow, like someone had scooped out all her insides and dumped it on the floor. It bothered her. It hurt her. Something was aching inside. Something felt so wrong. It was obvious seeing such a graphic display of death was a traumatic experience, but she had went through years healing herself from her past, and now she had to repeat that same trial to feel whole again.

Everything inside the police car was black; black seats, black floor, and lack metal bars that separates her from the officers. She felt like a criminal, like she was the one to murder Cody, as the police drove her to school. It's not a fast run with flashing lights and loud sirens, it was just an average, slow ride, with no small talk, she was just a parcel for delivery.

They had questioned her for most of the weekend after she had called them. The ambulance came first, followed by the cops and the forensic scientists who helped him down from the tree. She was shucked away inside, a warm cup of coffee in her hands as a woman and a man dressed in uniform delicately questioned her as though she would break if there was anymore violence.

After learning she was alone in the house, they took her to the police station for further questioning while the other emergency services covered Cody's mangled body with a sheet and put him in the back of the ambulance. Another cop had to make some calls for his family to come down to the morgue to identify him, while Nellie tried not to vomit at the stench of death.

She spent Saturday and Sunday in the police station, sleeping in a spare cell while the forensics continued to clean up the mess at her house. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to be reminded.

But eventually, she had to go back home. Monday morning, she showered, got dressed, and got ready for school, and finally, she was parked outside the school grounds, chewing her nails down to the bone. The officer in the front seat exited the cab and opened the door for her, not different than being offered a ride in a taxi. She felt embarrassed having the police drive her to school, how would people think? People would assume she was the murderer.

"Thank you for the ride..." She mumbled quietly as she shouldered her denim backpack on her shoulder. The officer smiled sadly at her as she crawled out of the cab and stepped onto the footpath that led to the school.

"Nellie!" Lucas was the first to call out to her, waiting by the fountain with her other friends. As the police car glided away from her, she turned to find her friends hurrying towards her with concern pinching their expressions.

"Hey everyone..." She softly said, not being able to speak any louder than that. As soon as the words left her lips she was hit with a barrage of questions from her group of friends. _'Are you okay?', 'What happened after the party?!', 'Is it true they found Cody dead? At your house?'._ She didn't get the chance to answer any of the questions as the mention of his name sent her mind flashing back into the memory on Saturday night, the sight of Cody's dead body strung up high on the tree like an ornament, right through her bedroom window.

"It's true," She shuddered. "I went home from the party on Saturday and... and Cody was in my tree. Dead."

"Holy crap." Noah breathed out, brown eyes as wide as saucers as he regarded Nellie's exhausted appearance. 

"Do your parents know?" Stacy went on to ask.

"Yeah. Mom's freaking out. They're trying to find a flight back, but I guess the weather over there is pretty bad."

"Are you a suspect?" Ava suddenly asked. Nellie's heart dropped. It certainly seemed suspicious after the night at the party, with Cody forcing himself on her, and then them getting into a verbal fight, only to have him found dead at her house. But how could they explain that Nellie, a small teenager, could manage to string a 6ft something football star in an even taller tree? "My dad wouldn't tell me anything!"

"I'm not a suspect." She explained, "The cops said... they said based on his wounds that Cody fell down into the tree."

"How do you fall _into_  a tree?" Noah asked in disbelief. Whether at the cops theory, or if he believed there was something more sinister in the works, she didn't know. But she felt the same way.

"What, was he up on your roof or something?" Andy questioned.

"The cops think he was trying to break in..." She murmured. If that was the case, she had already imagined the scenarios in her head if Cody did manage to break in to finish what he started with Nellie, even if she hadn't even reached the house yet. Perhaps he had been waiting for her to return, so he could launch on her from the shadows. He could have killed her, or worse.

"What do  _you_ think?" Lucas prompted.

There was only one thing on her mind that she could think would be the one behind the murder. "I... I think Redfield killed him."

Everyone exchanged nervous glances, but none of them had a good enough reason to dismiss it. Of course, Nellie couldn't exactly tell the police her own theory -- no one would believe a ghostly entity that had been living in the woods surrounding Westchester had killed the teenager. If anything, that'd make her appear more suspicious.

"And... how do you feel about that?" He asked.

"I think it's messed up, really. I hated Cody, and he was a jerk, but he didn't deserve to  _die_  for it. And definitely not like  _that_. I was so angry at him, and I may have said something that night about wanting him dead, but I didn't mean it. People say a lot of things when they're pissed off, but it doesn't mean I wanted him to die."

"You guys see what this means, right?" Lily wondered aloud, hands shaking as she spoke.

"It means things are getting even worse. If Redfield's willing to kill for us... there's no telling what else he'll do." Lucas concluded for her, seemingly on the same wavelength.

"So we put a stop to it, once and for all." Noah suddenly said, eyes narrowed, cold and hard as if he was imagining all the things he wanted to do to Redfield. "We march into those woods, find Mr. Red's house, and━"

"That's what started this mess!" Lily cut across his threat, "The closer we all get to him, the stronger he becomes! And clearly he's too strong already!"

"Seriously. What are we even supposed to  _do_  against a freaking shadow monster that impales people on trees?!" Stacy cried out, irritation flaring up under her skin. She sounded helpless, like nothing they do was fixing anything.

"There's gotta be  _something_  we can do. I'm not just gonna sit around while people die!" Andy exploded from her side.

"B━but if he's doing all this for us... maybe he'd go away if we just ignored him!"

While Lily was right, the best action to take was to ignore and avoid Redfield, that way they could starve off his power, but like Andy said, they can't sit idly to the side and allow him to kill even more innocent people for them under the guise of protection. He'd already put Mr. Cooper and Ben in the hospital in order to protect Lucas and Andy. He can't play God, no matter how powerful he was.

"Sure, and maybe if we all wish real hard, the clouds will turn into cotton candy." Ava suddenly snapped, seemingly fed up with Lily wanting to take the pacifist route, which in the end was more chaotic than stopping him in the long run. "We can't just ignore Mr. Red, we need to  _understand_  him. It's the only way to get some control over the situation."

"You want to  _control_ Mr. Red?!" Noah practically growled at the idea of controlling an uncontrollable creature. "After what he did?!"

"You got a better idea?" She hissed in return, like a feral cat. Both of them at each other's throat like a cat and dog.

"Hold on a second..." Nellie started, holding up both of her hands in a pacifying gesture, "I think Ava's right. We need to know more. Maybe there  _is_  a way to control Mr. Red, or lock him away. We won't know until we look for it."

"And while we're looking, more people could die." Noah reminded her, face contorted in fiery anger.

"Look, we're the ones who are closest to this, so we should do everything we can to find a way to stop Redfield..." Lucas spoke up, assuming the role as a peacemaker between the two divided worlds of Nellie and Noah. While Noah wanted revenge, his plan was rooted in anger, and frustration towards the death of his sister, but Nellie's plan was rooted in logic. As much as she wanted to hurt Redfield for what he did, if they wanted to defeat the enemy, they must learn of him. "But... the ugly truth is that there may be nothing we can do. Redfield may simply be too powerful."

"Great, thanks for the pep talk." Noah growled.

"What, did you want me to sugar-coat it?" Lucas retorted, all his cool, calm and collective attitude now vanished as the last thread of his patience had worn thin with Noah's incessant anger. "I'm just trying to be honest about our situation!"

"Funny," Noah barked, taking a step into Lucas' personal bubble as if he was ready for a fight. "It sounds a lot like you're trying to talk yourself out of doing anything." He sneered, whilst Lucas only peered down at him, all resolve returning back to him as he took a step back, earning a scoff from Noah in return. It was like he was itching for a fight and was looking for any excuse to hit something.

"Hey, nobody's giving up yet." Nellie spoke up, taking a stance of defense if Noah were to start swinging wildly. While she knew Noah wouldn't hurt her, she didn't know him well enough to know he wouldn't start throwing punches at Lucas, just because he had a different opinion. "We've just gotta figure out━"

"Save it." He lost all of his anger, sliding out of him like water, now he seemed exhausted ━ as if the emotion had drained him of all his energy. The five minute bell before class echoed throughout the school buildings, and Noah shook his head as he took a step away from the group as if they were the enemies. "You know, for a second back there... I thought you were all with me. I thought maybe we were finally going to make things right. Guess I was wrong." Then he's turning away from the group, without a second glance, and he's slouching his way towards the school building.

"Somebody wanna go after him?" Andy pondered, as he glanced between the remaining members.

"Nah. Let him have his hissy fit." Ava responded first, hands on her hips as she glared at his retreating figure.

Nellie understood his desperation to set things right. He wanted Redfield dead, just as much as the rest of them did, but they weren't going to get anywhere if they didn't know what they were dealing with. They can't go into a fight not knowing his weaknesses, they can't go into the woods and wander around blindly. Doing so would risk their own lives. They had to be educated, and if Noah won't see that, then let him stew in his own anger until he realised the truth.

The gang looked between each other with uncomfortable glances, until they eventually joined in the thin crowd of students gravitating towards the front doors of the school building with hurried feet.

But as soon as they entered the corridor, a furious shriek pierced the air around them. _"YOU!"_ The gang all turned just in time to see Jocelyn bearing down on them like a missile sent from above. She barrelled towards them with quick strides of her long legs, arms to her side and an intimidating glare on her face that almost look murderous.

"Oh no..." Nellie gulped, already sensing the argument that was about to take place. What else did she have to deal with? Seeing Cody's dead body, lacking sleep, and then getting into an argument with Noah, and now Jocelyn was storming towards her with purpose. She couldn't catch a break.

"You killed him! You killed my best friend!" She screeched as she stopped right in front of Nellie. She didn't make a move to attack but her fists were clenched at her sides and shaking with rage.

"Jocelyn, wait, I━" But before she could continue with her explanation, Jocelyn shoved her aside until the metal of the locker bit in her back and instead turned to Ava and slammed her fist into her stomach.

With a resounding grunt of air leaving Ava's lips, Stacy beared up like a mother hen protecting her young. "HEY!"

 _"What the hell?!"_ Andy followed suit. Losing her footing, Ava crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes, and instinctively, Andy moved to defend her but was cut short when Jocelyn shoved him away. "Whoa!"

"Get out of my way!" She growled, baring her teeth like a rabid dog at Andy before turning to loom over Ava's small form with hatred burning in her almond eyes. " _You. You killed Cody!"_

_..._

 


	40. chapter thirty one

**031. COFFEE AND DEMONS**  
 **(** chapter thirty one ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**MONDAY. 3:25 PM** **

 

 

 

 

 **THE AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT** weaved itself through the strands of Nellie's brown locks as it filtered itself through the large open, glass windows and landed on the wooden floorboards of  _Gloria's_  cafe shop like sweet honey. Golden and pale, it drenched her with a warm sensation despite the icy, tight feeling in her chest that felt as though it had always been there, growing and growing, getting stronger and stronger as the days went by.

Throughout the school day, Nellie couldn't think straight. Her mind was racing, replaying the scenes of Ava practically becoming possessed, replaying the scenes of Jocelyn almost dying in front of them ━ it played on her mind for the rest of the day. If Redfield was willing to take control over Ava ━ the person he was trying to protect ━ as well as kill Cody, what else would he do to them in the name of  _defending_?

Considering no one else in the gang was willing to actually  _do_  any research about him despite agreeing that they needed to in order to find his weaknesses, and strengths to use against him, Nellie took it upon herself to do it alone. As soon as the final bell of the school day rang overhead, Nellie was already bounding out of the school grounds and heading straight to  _Gloria's_  cafe to study her findings without telling anyone.

Armed with a fresh brew of coffee, the steam radiated from the white china mug curled and wafted upwards, intertwining with the thick aroma of coffee beans like lovers. It was left to her side untouched, still filled to the brim with the same pretty little leaf pattern made from foam.

She was more focused on the notebook dedicated to Redfield underneath the tip of her pen glued to her fingers as she hunched over it scribbling furiously away at the bottom of an already crumbled page. There's a tenseness in her shoulders that made her appear more like a mannequin in a store, than a teenage girl made from flesh and bone. She had never been someone to study so intently on a subject, especially when it came to school, always taking her remaining life in school, day by day, and not essentially worrying about the future until it came up to her doorstep, but studying Redfield, was a life or death situation.

It needed to be done.

She's jostled, overwhelmed, rubbing at her temples as if to starve off a disgustingly painful migraine, while she chewed at the barrel of the pen in thought. There had to be something that could defeat Redfield something that she reckoned was staring right in her face... something in plain sight, but she couldn't reach it.

Before she knew it, Nellie was swiping at the frustrated tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. She was irritated with the sickly pool growing in the pit of her stomach that she was the one to shoulder this burden alone. She needed their help, but a stubborn part of her was just angry at them that she didn't bother to ask for it.

While she sat and stewed in her own silent anger, the world continued on. She could almost scowl in her envy as every other customer in the cafe sat and laughed with their friends, blissfully unaware of what was in those woods. She wanted to be them, chatting and nibbling on their chocolate muffins, but she was stuck in her own loop.

A messaging chime dingling from her phone broke her out of her stupor, she almost flinched in her surprise when she heard, not entirely expecting a message after the incident with Ava and Jocelyn. To be truthful, Nellie just wanted to be alone. Glancing to her phone screen, a message notification appeared, and when she focused on who the messenger was, her heart jumped.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**

**AVA**  
Hey  
 _read 3:28 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
Omg, you haven't answered my texts all day!   
Where are you?  
 _read 3:28 PM_

 **AVA**  
Ava the Witch stalks the highland plains, feasting on the blood of the innocent  
By which I mean I'm drinking a smoothie in the mall parking lot.  
Bracing for the parental showdown of the century when I get home.  
 _read 3:30 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
:(  
I'd be there feasting on the blood of the innocent too if I wasn't so swept up in studying.  
 _read 3:31 PM_

 **AVA**  
Yeah, got you there.   
So is everyone okay? I didn't kill anyone, did I?  
 _read 3:31 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
No! Jocelyn's fine, just some bruises  
All of us are fine too  
But the main question is  
Are YOU okay?  
 _read 3:32 PM_

 **AVA**  
Yeah  
No  
Idk   
My phone's about to die... I'm gonna finish my smoothie and get home...  
 _read 3:34 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
Text me later?  
 _read 3:34 PM_

 **AVA**  
K  
 _read 3:34 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Exiting from the text messages, Nellie realised that not only did Ava message her, but so did Stacy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**TEXT MESSAGE**

**STACY**  
Hey. how r u holding up  
 _read 3:35 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
Not great  
 _read 3:36 PM_

 **STACY**  
Same tbh  
I feel like crap...   
 _read 3:36 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
Why? You didn't do anything  
 _read 3:37 PM_

 **STACY**  
Exactly   
I could have done more to stop that fight with Noah  
And that crazy stuff w/ Ava...  
I just feel so out of my depth here  
Like everyone else is trying really hard to deal w/ this & im just the dumb girl caught up w/ dumb high school drama  
 _read 3:39 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
You know that's not true  
 _read 3:39 PM_

 **STACY**  
If u say so  
I g2g to cheer practice now... ill ttyl  
 _read 3:40 PM_

 **NELLIE**  
Byee  
 _read 3:40 PM_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Hey."

It felt as though Nellie's entire body just short circuited. Every muscle in her body just froze in time as she registered the person in front of her, and then a small smile crept up on her face when her brain processed it. "Noah! What are you doing here?"

He's looking down at the cluster of ripped out pages haphazardly scattered about the table, some with scribbles all over it, others with doodles, and ones that were completely crumpled up in balls. He glanced back up at her with something akin to worry in his eyes as if it made him sick that she was taking this Redfield business all upon herself.

"Looking for you." He finally said, and Nellie hated the way it made her stomach flip and her heart flutter. He slid into the chair on the opposite side of Nellie, his shoes lightly tapping against hers in the process. He leaned forward with interest, brown eyes examining the string of words scribbled as her notes. " _'Hates sunlight, incorporeal form, can control animals...'_  Are these notes on Mr. Red, or Dracula?" He mused with a playful smirk upon his face.

Rolling her eyes with a scowl, Nellie snatched her notes away from him and shoved them into her school bag. "You got that the whole coming-here-alone thing was on purpose, right?" She gritted out, flash of annoyance coating her usual easy going nature. As much as she liked Noah's company, and the fact that her body was thrumming with energy as soon as she noticed his familiar denim jacket and beanie, she was just annoyed.

"Yeah, I figured that was the case when I saw you sneak out the back door after school and book it down the road. So why  _didn't_ you tell anyone where you were going?"

Because Nellie's  _too_ stubborn to ask for help, would have been the easier answer.  "Because  _someone_  has to figure out how to stop Mr. Red..." Was her actual answer. "And I'm tired of fighting about it. Every time we even start talking about him, it turns into a big, stupid argument that doesn't go anywhere."

"So you've noticed that too?" Noah wondered, peering up at her under the swoop of his bang that almost covered his eyes.

Nellie shrugged limply. It wasn't hard to ignore. If anything, Noah was the type to go headfirst into a battle, while the rest of them knew the easiest way to get things done, was to not risk getting themselves hurt, but to figure out ways to dismantle Redfield's power, Noah thought the world was against him because of that. "And after everything that happened this morning... I think maybe we all need a little time apart anyway."

Noah didn't respond to that, just stared out the window and tapped his foot on the wooden floorboards. Nellie wasn't sure if he was insulted by her comment or not, about the fact they all needed space from each other. It was true. Lately, they were at each other's throats, especially Stacy and Noah. It was getting to the point where Nellie just wanted to slap both of them upside the head. Noah with his woe-is-me attitude was something that really bothered her. The death of someone you love was always going to be something you can't fully get over ━ however, you can't sit there and blame the world, bite at your chains and snap at everyone like an abused junkyard dog. It wasn't healthy, and it wasn't going to change your life.

It's not to say Noah needed to snap out of it, and forget about his sister's grotesque death, it was hard for any of them to forget it ━ not when it was something traumatic ━ but he needed to move on.

"I'm sorry, Nellie, I know I can be a real jerk about Mr. Red stuff." Noah spoke up, turning his attention from the window and shifting to Nellie's small hands twirling the pen with her fingers. "It's just... everytime I think about him, I get mad about Jane all over again. Then I get pissed at everyone else for not being as mad as I am."

"Noah, about Jane...." Nellie started, leaning forward and grabbing a hold of his hand, looking up at him with earnest. "I'm really sorry I pulled away. It was one of the worsts things I could have done to you, or anyone for that matter."

That seemed to have caught him off-guard. His eyes darted around the cafe as if he was embarrassed, or too afraid to look her in the eyes, but he didn't move his hands, as much as Nellie was expecting it. "Whatever." He replied, brushing it off. "We don't have to rehash all that."

She shook her head, tightening her hold on his hands. "No, I... I'm as guilty as anyone else. I pushed you away. And I let it stay that way for too long. And I'm sorry."

"Jeez... uh..." He stammered, scratching at the nape of his neck. Nellie wasn't sure if he was flustered by her comment, or he was rather uncomfortable by i ━ but when his eyes flicked back to hers, there was relief written in those hues. Admiration. "I mean, thanks... I appreciate that."

They both smiled warmly at each other, before it all became too much and they fell into a long companionable silence as the coffee shop bustled around them. Customers came in and out of the cafe like robots, exiting, entering. It went on for a few minutes, Nellie turning her attention back to the Redfield notes, whilst Noah's mind drifted elsewhere. It was nice being around him, natural. Even when they weren't speaking, they were still bonding. It made Nellie begin to wonder what would have happened between them if Redfield never existed.

Would they be together now? Would they be strangers?

It always amazed her how differently life could have been if they never took a certain path. If Jane never managed to find Redfield's home in the woods, if they never agreed to play with him, life could have been different entirely. What would Jane look like as a teenager? What would she be like?

All these questions she'd never know.

Noah suddenly chuckled to himself. Mind lost in whatever musings he was thinking to himself.

"What?" Nellie asked, a small smile playing at her lips at his odd amusement.

"Nothing, just... I just remembered something funny. I was thinking about this time I ran away and Jane came to 'rescue' me. She always knew how to..." His amused expression fell when he felt Nellie's eyes on him, as if he realised he was being annoying, and he should shut up before Nellie kicked him out. He cleared his throat, and rubbed at his forehead tiredly. "Eh, you probably don't want to hear about that..."

"No, come on. I want to hear it." Nellie laughed lightly, and nodded at him encouragingly and it didn't take long for Noah to be convinced.

"Okay, so, like I said, I had just run away..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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Little Noah Marshall's backpack hung heavy upon his little shoulders ━ a bag that was far too heavy for a boy of his size ━ as he hiked deep into the darkening woods, leaving his old life behind. His bag jostled, and slid from his shoulders, filled with snacks, toys and a blanket. Things of which he thought was the most important to him, and needed for a life on the run. He had seen documentaries on TV of people living in the wilderness, starting fires, hunting, and building their own shelter ━ Noah wanted to channel his inner caveman.

It had barely been ten minutes before Noah decided he wanted a snack break. The sky above the canopy of trees fought valiantly to be seen through the leaves, leaving only a glimmer of sunlight to peek through, but Noah wasn't scared of the dark. He was a big boy, and big boys don't need nightlights.

Settling his backpack down on a nearby tree stump, he crouched down to rummage through his loot in search for his favorite snack; Cheesyfish crackers that he had brought along.

"Aww, they got squished!" Noah complained, staring down at the crumbled crackers with distaste, "I can't eat these  _now_... this sucks."

Tossing the crackers back into his back, he slumped against the tree stump with his arms over his chest. He couldn't believe this! He was going to starve out in the wilderness because of his squished snack, but he wasn't going to back down now. He was a big boy who wasn't scared of anything.

The sound of a twig snapping in the underbrush nearby made Noah bristle from head to toe.

"Wh━who's there?!" He shouted into the wind, trying his hardest to bring out the most scariest voice within him to spook off whoever, or whatever was hiding in the shadows. Leaves crunched underfoot. Ferns rustled. On a whim, Noah shot towards his bag and yanked out his trusty slingshot. "S━stay back!" He scooped up a nearby pebble on the ground, prepared the slingshot, and took aim. Blindly, the boy released the pebble from the slingshot and watched as it sailed into the underbrush with a satisfying  _whish!_

"OW!" A familiar voice cut through the trees.

"... Wait, Jane?"

True to his words, the young girl stepped into the clearing, angrily rubbing at the red mark on her forehead. "Noah, you  _know_ you're not supposed to shoot people with your slingshot anymore! I'm telling!"

"What are you doing out here?" He snapped, dropping his weapon on top of his bag, out of sight and out of mind.

"I came to find you." She answered, as if his question was the stupidest question in the world.

"But my note said  _specifically_  not to!"

"If you didn't want anyone to come look, why'd you leave a note?"

"I━" He froze, bouncing back on his words as he thought them over. "I don't know." With a sigh, little Noah dropped down on the stump, defeated. To his annoyance, his little sister dropped down on the stump beside him as well, playing with the loose threads of her shorts.

"Noah, why are you running away? Did I do something?" She innocently asked, her voice small.

"No, it's not you. I heard mom and dad fighting... and mom said the D-word."

"What's the D-word?"

"It's when parents stop being married. And then I think one of them goes to jail."

"Oh..." Her chin quivered as she hugged her knees to her chest, eyes watering as she thought of the implications. Their parents constantly argue, and Jane's outlet was to play in the woods with Nellie ━ Noah didn't have that. But come to think of it, Jane's eyebrows furrowed. "But... how does running away help?"

"Well, it's not supposed to _help_..."

"Then why do it?"

"I dunno..." When Noah began to pack his things into his bag, and took off to the woods, he wasn't necessarily thinking about anyone, nor the consequences with his action. He just wanted to get away... and maybe he wanted attention, somewhat. He didn't know. He just thought running away from his problems was the greater solution.

Jane suddenly stood up from the stump and planted her hands on her hips in a gesture that meant she means business. "Well,  _I_  think you're being selfish! If you run away, who's gonna walk me home from school? And help me find Gizmo when he gets out of his cage? And eat the crusts off my sandwiches?"

"I don't know... Nellie, probably..."

"Huh? Nellie hates crusts!" Jane retorted.

"Well, she does everything else for you..."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

Noah growled in frustration. His patience with Jane beginning to wear very thin. "You guys have been doing  _everything_  together! You took Nellie to Mr. Red's house before you even  _told_  me about it!"

Jane blinked. "Wait... Noah, are you _jealous?_ "

"...Maybe." He replied, weakly.

With a bark of girlish laughter, Jane reached over and grabbed a hold on his shoulders, shaking him roughly with a grin. "Noah, listen to me. Nellie is my BFF. You're my  _twin_ , okay?"

"...Okay..."

Again, Jane shook him by the shoulders, a lot more this time with a playful lilt to her voice. "Stop. Being. SAD."

"Okay, quit it!" Noah responded, mocking her own playful voice and poked her in the armpit, making her jerk away from him with a giggle. "Race you home!"

"Not if I do this!" Without warning, she shoved her brother backwards over the stump, making him lose balance while she took off running home.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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"Anyway, uh. That's it." By the time Noah finished his story,  _Gloria's_  cafe shop seemed to be just a little bit warmer. There's a lazy smile on his lips as he recounted the story with fondness in his tired eyes ━ something akin to content.

"That was a cute story." Nellie grinned warmly.  She was glad to see him so at ease, especially when talking about Jane. He hadn't finished grieving about his twin, that was a fact, but it was nice to see him speaking of her without having the urge to spit and hiss like a feral cat.

"Heh. Yeah. It's kinda nice to think about something besides all this." He said, gesturing wildly towards the notebook, still the only thing that separated them from each other.

"But I never knew you were jealous of me." She quipped, eyebrows raised half-heartedly as she leaned on her hand and flashed Noah her most award winning smile.

"Wait, seriously? I thought it was super obvious!" She could tell by the look of mild surprise on his face and his pale cheeks flaring up with pink, that he was quite embarrassed by his admission.

"No, not at all!"

"I mean... yeah. Jane and I were a team. After you came along, it was like..." He fell silent as he struggled to find the correct words to say to her, but when he came up short, he merely shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, that was..." When his eyes flickered back towards Nellie, he noticed her gaze on him ━ a gaze that wasn't cruel, harsh, or mocking of his childhood jealousy towards Nellie, but instead, it was one of understanding. Noah averted his gaze from hers as if she could burn him, and turned his attention to the window, paying close attention to the fluttering sparrows dancing around the gardens. "...That was a long time ago."

A tumble of leaves outside the cafe gusted silently passed the window he was staring out of, travelling down the street and far away from sight, and just how the leaves disappeared, as did Noah's smile.

"You want to hear something kinda messed up?" When Noah's attention returned to Nellie, they both noticed they weren't smiling anymore ━ the world felt a little more cold.

"What?"

"For all the awful things he's done. I have to admit... my life  _has_  gotten better since Mr. Red returned." She admitted, feeling the guilt of her words weighing down her shoulders. "If it wasn't for him, none of you guys would have started talking to me again. He brought us back together."

"Look, I get what you mean, but... Redfield's a monster. He's hurt people, and he'll do worse the longer the longer this goes on. No matter how he tries to trick us, we can't forget that what he wants is to drag us into that house and do the same thing he did to Jane. All he wants is power, so he can escape. We can't let that happen. And we can't make the same mistakes we made as kids."

"Yeah... you're right." If Nellie didn't feel guilty before that a part of her felt glad that Redfield had returned, despite the chaos he had created along the way, she definitely felt guilty now looking up at his determined visage. The smartest thing for the gang to do was to not let their guard down, no matter how much Redfield had 'helped'. In the end, it was all a manipulative scam ━ and they had to realise that. "So what  _do_  we do?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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As night fell, the blue haze of the day lifted to reveal starlight, and the waxing moon beamed in the sky like a gentle giant, guarding the earth. By the time Nellie and Noah exited the cafe to part ways, the nightly air of wind threaded through her brown locks and tousled them, creating a chaotic mess. It had been a couple hours of fruitless brainstorming between the two, filled with questions, and little answers here and there.

As much as Nellie wanted to research Redfield on her own, it was nice to have a helping hand. It made her feel a lot less alone in the grand scheme of things. And it was nice to have alone time with Noah without people prying into their personal affairs and questioning their stances, or throwing around rumours just because a girl was sitting with a guy. Apparently, they're secretly screwing, or apparently, they're secretly dating ━ it was no one's business, but people loved to theorise.

As the two stood outside the cafe, relishing in the cool night air brushing against their flushed skin, Noah turned to Nellie with an oddly reassuring smile painted on his lips. "Hey. Don't sweat it. We'll find a way to fix it." His reassuring quirk of the lips fell, as if it was never really there. "...Somehow."

Nellie frowned. "Thanks, but... I don't know how I'm gonna fix anything when I don't even know what Mr. Red really is, or why he's doing this to us."

"I guess all we can do is judge him by his actions. Try to find a pattern."

"Yeah... guess so."

With a lazy wave towards Nellie, Noah turned to leave, shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket and began his trekk back home, but before he could do it, Nellie grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him into a much needed hug. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, when he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her in closer without a second thought, Nellie's stomach flipped and twisted, and danced. Her cheeks were heating, and the heat was travelling to the tips of her ears.

She wasn't expecting him to hug her back as tightly. But she wasn't complaining. She had expected him to awkwardly tap her head and pull away, but she was glad she wouldn't have to deal with the second-hand embarrassment once they parted ways.

"Sorry." She apologised needlessly, as they released each other. "I needed a hug."

"It's okay." He mumbled, scratching at the nape of his neck ━ he was blushing too, but he was hiding it a lot better than Nellie was. "It's something I think we all need. This whole crap with Mr. Red is taking a toll on all of us."

She hummed thoughtfully. It wasn't like he was wrong ━ she didn't know the last time she had a decent night's sleep, or a decent meal. The gang was snapping, and snarling at each other, exhaustion was creeping up on all of them like a famished wolf. They're kids, just teenagers, they should be caring about their studies, or about which boy or girl they want to date, or what they want to wear to homecoming, or which university they want to enrol in ━ not a ghostly creature in the woods.

"And look at you." He added, before reaching out and poking at her protruding collarbones. "When's the last time you've eaten?"

"Oh, I don't know, Noah. It wasn't like I just saw a dead body strung up like a christmas ornament in my backyard this weekend. It's kind of hard to get an appetite." She bit back, snappy all of a sudden. She glanced up, expecting to find Noah insulted by her tone, but he didn't react. There was understanding in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. Just... take care of yourself, Nellie. You're the strongest person in our group, you're the glue that's holding us all together. Who knows what would happen between us if you end up burned out and starving."

"Yeah I know." She mumbled, tiredly.

He smiled sadly at her, before wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders and pulling her into a one-armed hug. "Anyways, I gotta go. Text me if you need anything, okay?"

Eventually, the two went their separate ways, Noah heading towards the suburbs, and Nellie heading towards the backroads. Walking around at night wasn't exactly a smart idea for the teenager, but she wasn't willing to give Connor, or Stacy and text just to pick her up, it felt like she was using them ━ and if anything, Nellie's just too stubborn for her own good.

But at least the walk home gave her enough time for her thoughts to begin spiralling.

**...**

 


	41. chapter thirty

**030\. 'IT'S THE WITCH'S FAULT'**  
 **(** chapter thirty ** _!_**        **)**

 

**. . .**

 

 

 

 

_WESTCHESTER, OREGON._ **  
**MONDAY. 9:13 A** **M**   
**

 

 

 

 

 **WHILE AVA CUNNINGHAM**  writhed against the linoleum floor like a squashed bug, dry heaving and unable to speak a word as the breath was sucked from her lungs by Jocelyn's fist, both Lily and Stacy rushed to her side, voicing their concerns whilst Lucas and Andy turned to face the enraged Jocelyn. In the years of high school, Nellie couldn't remember ever seeing Jocelyn that infuriated. She had known she was quite hot headed and had fight in her ━ she had seen it first hand when she punched her across the face on the day of the crow attack, and Ava had seen it when she slammed her against the locker before she unleashed the power she didn't know she had, but never had Nellie seen her full-blooded anger in the flesh.

The seconds leading up to Jocelyn's fist colliding with Ava's stomach felt quick ━ but it was enough time for Nellie's instinctual desire to protect burst through the seams of her pacifistic natural reaction to calm Jocelyn down ━ however, upon watching the scene unfold, it didn't hold on much longer.

As Lily and Stacy helped the winded Ava to her feet, Nellie advanced towards Jocelyn with the intent to give her a piece of her mind. She understood she was grieving, Cody was her best friend, but to explode on Ava for the sole reason of singling her out in the crowd all because of her dislike of her, mixed in with her belief that she was a witch, was nothing short of pathetic. There was no proof that any of them could have hurt him. He was strung up high in the trees, no one human could have done that, especially not teenagers. They hated him, but not not enough to murder him in coldblood.

"Back off, Jocelyn." Nellie growled as soon as she was close enough. Jocelyn didn't back down. Her almond eyes darted around wildly, like a skittish animal, she turned to Nellie. Her behavior reminded Nellie of a panicked animal, ready to swipe and strike if one dared to come too close.

 _"You_  back off!" She retorted, taking a step into Nellie's personal space, so much so, that she found herself taking a step back.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Andy remarked, crossing his arms over his chest as he squared his shoulders and jerked his head upwards.

" _Seriously?!_  You're all going to defend her after what she did?!" The popular girl shrieked, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets in her rage.

"Jocelyn, calm down. Ava wasn't anywhere near Cody when he died." Lucas spoke up, holding his hands up and his palm outwards in a calming gesture that did nothing to soothe Jocelyn down from her reign of terror.

"You think I'm  _that_  stupid?! I  _know_ what she is!" The anger in her eyes was like molten lava, and it was clear that despite her rage, she was holding in her urge to kick and scream at them all until they were nothing put powder on the floor of the hallway.

"She's our friend. So how about you leave before we  _make_  you leave?" Andy added sternly, and his voice spoke the level of finality.

Hell's lake of fire burned deeply within Jocelyn's smouldering narrowed eyes as they darted between the three teenagers, hands tightening into fists at her side as they shook as if she was weighing down the pros and cons of throwing wild punches at anyone who came close enough with her creative ways to exact her revenge.

During this, Nellie raised her hands in the same calming gesture she'd use for a wild animal, the same gesture Lucas had used as she spoke. "Jocelyn, I'm sorry about Cody."

Her words seemed to slice right through Jocelyn, who bared her teeth in response. "Don't lie to me! You  _hated_  him!"

"That doesn't mean he deserved to die!" She bellowed, finding her own frustrations within. "Believe me, if there's anything I could have done━"

"You want to do something?  _Get out of my way!_ " Without giving Nellie the chance to do just that, Jocelyn exploded towards her with her fists raised and a determined glare in her eyes, but Nellie saw it coming.

She dodged her fist by ducking under her blow, before shooting back up and grabbing her by the arm, freezing her for a brief instant. Jocelyn's brown eyes widened in surprise as Nellie spoke. "Pro tip. If you're gonna sucker punch somebody, don't  _warn them_  first."

Jocelyn merely growled like a feral animal in response, and before Nellie could process, Jocelyn was twisting her hips out of her hold, and ripping the teenager off the ground. A short shriek of surprise left her lips as her brain tried to connect the dots as Jocelyn hurled her over her shoulder as if she weighed nothing before slamming her downwards onto the linoleum floor.

A shock of pain ignited in her back as she arched off the ground crying out at the sudden sensation burning on her spine. She didn't even have the time to process before Jocelyn tossed her as though she was useless as a garbage bag filled with crap ━ thankfully, while she attempted to gather her breath, Stacy stepped up to the plate with hatred in her grey eyes.

"Jocelyn, stop! Leave Nellie alone!" By now, a crowd had congregated around the group in the hall when they heard the commotion. They had their phones out and recording the fight as if it was the most entertaining thing to watch after someone had just been killed the night before. As if all their sympathies had flew out the window the second they saw another act of violence. People will never change.

Jocelyn, undeterred, moved forward again to land another hit on Nellie, but before she could get close enough, both Andy and Lucas hands flew out to grab a firm hold of her arms in an attempt to seize her.

"Jocelyn, I know you're upset, but if you don't stop attacking people..." Lucas started as he ripped her backwards, placing space between her and Nellie and Ava.

"Shut up! I know it was her! I  _saw_  what she did at the party!" She gritted out as she struggled against their firm holds.

At her words, Ava's eyes widened significantly, darting around at the other students in the hall as if she had just realised what she had done to warrant that suspicion. Even if Jocelyn had always thought that ━ it was as though, she had been itching for a reason to fight her. "I━I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered, shaking her head rapidly.

For being the daughter of a cop, she knew how to lie and hide her emotions behind a neutral exterior, but all that training had been for naught in the presence of Jocelyn.

"Yeah, uh huh. You might have everybody else fooled like it's some little magic trick. But I know the truth." Jocelyn interjected. "I know what you did to me the other day. I know you're a  _freak._ And I know you killed Cody."

"If that  _were_  true, punching me in the gut seems like a pretty dumb idea." Ava threatened with a cold sneer in her voice that reached her eyes as she glared at Jocelyn who's villainous facade began to crack under it.

"I━I'm not afraid of you! Go ahead and do something! I dare you!" Her eyes flickered back and forth, from Ava, the group, to a clock on a nearby wall that slowly ticked by as if she was waiting for something.

Noticing this, Nellie squinted at the teenager. Jocelyn may not be the brightest character within Westchester High, but she was a con-artist in the making. She's planning something. Why else would she keep Ava in the public eye, as well as keen an eye on the clock?

"I said do  _something!_ " She yelled, a sound that reverberated throughout the hallway, bouncing off each body that stopped to watch. With a sudden twisting movement, Jocelyn managed to break free from Lucas and Andy's hold. She slid around Nellie without much of a second thought, and shoved Lily aside to get to Ava. Her sharp claw-like fingers grabbed a hold of her petite shoulders and slammed her against the metal locker behind her.

With a gasp, Ava attempted to twist out of her pressing hold but found no room to budge her. "S...stop..."

"Let go of her!" Stacy warned as she took a step forward to pry her vice locked fingers from around her shoulders. But as she attempted to do so, the lights above them flickered once.

With the intermittent bursts of artificial white light, Nellie knew that was the telltale signs of Redfield. Upon realizing this, she pushed herself up a few feet behind Jocelyn. If each time the lights flickered, Redfield came back to control them or to protect them, it was only fitting for her to be concerned that Jocelyn was going to get hurt.

Without a warning, Nellie stepped up behind Jocelyn and grabbed her by the shoulder, whipping her around. When Jocelyn turned to look at her, Nellie's hand cracked across her cheek, snapping her head back from the blow with a satisfying  _'CRACK!'_ and the hallway fell silent.

It had been an open-handed smack leaving behind a red welt. The dark side of Nellie felt satisfied with the damage, she had been wanting to give Jocelyn a slap across the face for the longest time, but the other part of her was concerned. She staggered backwards, hands flying up to clutch her face as her eyes watered.

"Oh YOU LITTLE━" Eyes burning cold, she collected herself and reached out to grab Nellie by the throat. The most noise she could make within her tight hold was a startled little gasp whilst Ava's eyes blaze up at the sight of her friend being manhandled and with a heavy  _clunk_ , every locker within the hallway snapped open at once.

"Enough." She growled lowly in the back of her throat. Before they knew it, a wave of force shoved Nellie away from Jocelyn who in turn hurtled across the hall and smashed against the opposite wall, beneath a bulletin board of posters that fluttered from the pins and ripped from her weight.

Students screamed in horror and shock at the sight, scattering away from Ava as if she had a contagious disease as she advanced towards Jocelyn with fire burning in her eyes.

"No, wait!" Jocelyn pleaded, throwing her hands up to protect herself. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!" She said as her eyes snapped towards the clock down the hall, still ticking away. "She's supposed to be here by now! She's supposed to━"

Her pleading voice soon strangled into a pitiful squeak as Ava took a menacing step forward. The light flickered once more, as she stared down at her as if she were scum on the bottom of her platforms. "I warned you."

"Can't... breathe..." She wheezed, desperately clawing at her throat as she slid up the wall, feet flailing and eyes wild. Whatever power Ava was using was levitating her and choking her. Her legs kicked out as if she was hanging from a noose, her tongue lulled out and her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she tried to swallow up breath.

"Oh my god..." Stacy voiced, unable to move a muscle as she watched in horror as Ava lost herself.

"Help her!" Lucas was the first to suggest a plan, the rest of them rooted to the spot. But upon his order, he, and Stacy rushed over to Jocelyn and struggled to pull her down from the wall. Nearby, Lily sunk to the floor with a trail of black mascara trailing down her face as she sobbed loudly.

The light flickered once more. "I told you to stop." But the voice that came from Ava's mouth wasn't her own. It was distorted, evil... inhuman.

Andy moved between Ava and Jocelyn in an attempt to break her from her power trip. He raised both of his fists, but a flash of confliction swept across his face ━ he didn't want to hurt Ava, he didn't want to throw a punch in an attempt to knock her out of it. "I... I don't know what to do!"

Jocelyn continued to struggle but her movements were becoming sluggish, the noises that managed to escape her throat ended up being gurgles of desperation, as spit dribbled from her mouth, and tears fell from her red-rimmed eyes.

"Ava! You have to snap out of it!" Nellie screamed, "You're gonna kill her!" Without missing a beat, she threw all her weight behind her hands and roughly shoved Ava until she stumbled to the ground.

The impact seemed to wake her up from whatever hold she had over her. Her furious, insidious eyes shifted back to normality, her grotesquely contorted face softened, and her distorted voice came back to her usual lilt whilst Jocelyn dropped to the floor, desperately sucking in breaths of air as she sobbed wildly.

"I don't... what? Oh no." All consciousness came back to Ava in waves as she realised what she had done.

"Jocelyn, are you okay?!" Stacy bellowed as she crouched down in front of the choking teenager as she swallowed up any air she could take. She's clutching her throat and coughing on her hands and knees as if she had been drowning as Lucas fell to her side.

"Can you stand?" Lucas delicately asked her.

"Principal... supposed to be here..." By the time she had enough breath in her lungs, her voice was so hoarse she could barely speak.

As soon as Ava stumbled to her feet from Nellie's initial shove, Lily rushed forward and shoved her again as hard as she could. "You could have  _killed_  her! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Lily, don't!" Andy shouted, and rushed over to step between the two of them.

"I━" Ava could barely speak herself, body still in shock as she looked down at her rapidly shaking hands as if they were alien and not apart of her body. Her eyes wildly darted around the hallway, panic mounting within her as the whispers began to rise. All eyes were on her and she's visibly shaking.

_"Did you see that?"_

_"I told you! I saw her doing weird magic at the party!"_

_"She's a freak!"_

With tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes, Ava's head drooped forward, her swaying hot pink dreadlocks falling forward, and curtaining her face. At her sides, her clenched hands trembled as she mumbled something they had to strain to hear. "...Screw this." And then her voice rose above the whispers, a heart wrenching scream as she shouted at them all.  _"SCREW ALL OF YOU!"_

The crowd parted like the red sea for Moses as Ava stomped down the hall, angrily wiping her furious hot tears from her eyes.

"Ava, wait!" Nellie hopelessly called out but it was too late, Principal Flores rounded a corner and cut her off.

"What is going  _on_ out here?!" The Principal shouted, eyes stern, and lips pressed into a thin line as she looked between the students.

"There was... a fight, Principal Flores." Lucas answered her, but Jocelyn rudely cut him off.

"You missed everything! You were supposed to be here at 8:30!" She shrieked. Despite Ava not technically touching her, there still managed to be dark fingerprinted bruises wrapped around her throat.

"And  _you're_ supposed to be in class, Miss Wu!" The Principal retorted, with her hands on her hips as she glared down at the teenager.

"But she━" But she didn't get the chance to voice her sentence as the Principal held up her hand, signaling for her silence as she turned to call for Ava who was about to turn a corner. "Miss Cunningham! Where do you think you're going?!"

Spinning around, Ava glared at the woman, still walking backwards, and then spun around to face forward. "Anywhere but here."

"Miss Cunningham, stop!"

Without bothering to turn around to look at them, Ava held up her middle finger in her response as she stormed out of the front doors.

"...Wow." Nellie didn't know what to say. Her mind was still whirling from the whole entire duration of their interaction. From Jocelyn throwing the first punch, to Ava strangling her without laying a finger on her. But as soon as she snapped out of it, there seemed to be remorse and regret painted in languid strokes across her features.

That wasn't Ava.

As a wave of awed whispers rippled throughout the hall, Principal Flores turned her attention back on the remaining teenagers, fuming in anger from either them wasting their time, or for Ava's middle finger salute, she didn't know. "Stacy and Lily, help Jocelyn to the nurse's office. The rest of you  _get to class!_ "

As the Principal shepherd's the students out of the hall like sheep, Nellie found herself lingering at the back of the crowd, mind in thought. Everything keeps getting worse for them. Ever since Dan had been found in the woods, things had been heading down a slippery slope of a downward spiral, but there worries only seemed to be triggered heavily after Cody's death. People were getting hurt in their protection. Redfield's gifts were not wanted, despite what the rest of them may think.

Nellie needed to stop this before anyone else got hurt in the process.

They can't ignore it anymore.

**...**

 


End file.
